Kohinoor diamond row: Congress asks 'confused' govt. to have precise policy

Coming down heavily on the BJP-led NDA Government, the Congress Party on Wednesday said the Centre is following a confused policy on the issue of bringing back the Kohinoor diamond from Britain.

"The Government of India is following a complete confused policy and is actually weakening its own case for return of the Kohinoor. It's time that this matter was decided in the highest level in Prime Minister's Office or by the Prime Minister himself. We would request the Prime Minister that the government should have a clear-cut and precise policy," Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told ANI.

He further stated giving confusing signals in the apex court doesn't go well for a good system of governance in the country.

Echoing similar sentiments, another Congress leader Manish Tewari said if Prime Minister Narendra Modi is gifting the Kohinoor to Great Britain then the legitimate question is what the quid pro quo is.

"The Kohinoor came into the position of the Afghan king Shah Shuja, whose ancestors took it from Nadir Shah. Nadir Shah had in turn had stolen it from the Mughals. Finally, Shah Shuja handed over the Kohinoor diamond to Maharaja Ranjit Singh, which then came into the possession of Dalip Singh and from him it was forcibly acquired by Queen Victoria or by the British Imperialists, ostensibly in the garb of a gift," he added.

The Central Government is likely to discuss and debate the Kohinoor diamond issue in the forthcoming session of the Parliament.

Sources revealed the government wants to make its position clear on this issue before the Opposition parties.

The government has said that it would make all possible efforts to bring back the valued diamond Kohinoor in an amicable manner.

The Ministry of Culture in a statement yesterday said the government remains hopeful for an amicable outcome whereby the country gets back a valued piece of art with strong roots in its history.

It also said that government has not yet conveyed its views to the Supreme Court contrary to what is being misrepresented in the media. The Ministry said certain news items appearing in the press regarding the Kohinoor Diamond are not based on facts.

It said the factual position is that the matter is sub-judice at present and the PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court that is yet to be admitted.

The apex court has granted six weeks time on the request of the Solicitor General to take instructions for making his submission in the matter.