Advani against ISI chief visit; urges Dawood's deportation

Niwai, Rajasthan, Nov 29 (UNI) BJP Prime Ministerial candidate L K Advani today termed a ''blunder'' the UPA Government's move to ask the ISI chief to come to India in connection with the probe in the Mumbai attacks, saying the Centre should instead press Pakistan to deport underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

''Don't commit the blunder of inviting the ISI chief as this will prove to be futile but instead exert pressure on Pakistan to deport Dawood to India,'' Mr Advani urged the UPA government.

''Since Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his ministerial collegues are pointing at connections between Pakistan and the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, the Government should take up the issue with its Pakistani counterpart,'' he said at an election meeting in this dusty town in the Tonk district.

He said the court had already found Dawood guilty in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case and his deportation to India should be a parameter to judge Pakistan's sincerity in extending cooperation to India on terrorism.

Mr Advani also sought the people's mandate for a second successive term for Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in Rajasthan.

The BJP leader addressed election meetings in Bauli and Khandar assembly constituencies in the adjoining Sawai Madhopur district.

UNI SS RR AS1723