Pranab 'rubbishes' reports of being soft on terror

New Delhi, Jan 16: Denying the reports that External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee had gone soft on demands of 26/11 perpetrators, Pranab said that there is no dilution of India's stand on extradition of persons who have committed crimes in India.

"There is no question of dilution of our demand of extradition (of those responsible for terror acts in India)," Mukherjee told reporters while clarifying on some reports.

"We have never given up the demand that perpetrators of the terror acts should be handed over to India. There is no question of that we have given up that demand or we have climbed down," he said.

"The fact that dastardly terror crimes have been committed in India, therefore the perpetrators must face Indian justice. This is not an either or situation as these things are not mutually exclusive," he said.

He also added that a further investigation are very much necessary to reveal the conspiracy.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan's Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik said that any Pakistani national found to be involved in the Mumbai terrorist attacks would be dealt "with an iron hand" and tried under the Anti-Terrorism Act in the country's special anti-terror courts.

OneIndia News (With inputs from Agencies)