NEW DELHI, Dec 19: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was under renewed pressure on Friday to sack a Muslim cabinet minister who asked whether the killing of the head of Mumbai’s anti-terror squad (ATS) during the attack on the city could have been averted had someone not sent him to the site of an ambush where he was shot dead with two colleagues.

The rightwing opposition BJP was joined by a group of Mumbai Muslims led by film lyricist Javed Akhtar who demanded the minister’s resignation.Reports said Minorities Affairs Minister Abdul Rehman Antulay, a former chief minister of Maharashtra, had sent his resignation to the PM but there has been no official confirmation that he did make the offer.

Reportedly unfazed by the controversy triggered by his remarks on the killing of former ATS chief Hemant Karakre, Mr Antulay was quoted as saying that he would stick to his stand and that both government and Congress should feel “proud” of his comments. Mr Karkare was investigating false flag terror attacks staged by suspected Hindu extremists but blamed on Muslims. Many Muslim leaders feel, though without much cogent reasoning, that he was killed in revenge for the probe.

“I always stand by the truth,” said Mr Antulay in the wake of the uproar after he raised questions on Mr Karkare’s killing. Asked whether he stood by what he had said two days back, he replied in the affirmative. He had said: “Whether Karkare was a victim of terrorism or terrorism plus something, I do not know...”

“I said a man like Karkare is born among millions... Who pushed him in the trap of death? Who sent him there to be killed by the Pakistanis?” Mr Antulay said.

Meanwhile, the government has told parliament that it would come out with a response on the issue.

Muslims for Secular Democracy (MSD), a Mumbai-based group headed by Mr Akhtar said it was “shocked and horrified by the highly irresponsible and outrageous statement” of Mr Antulay. “He has expressed doubts over the identity of the killers of the former chief... Karkare, insinuating that the killing of Mr Karkare and his colleagues in the ATS was the result of a conspiracy. The suggestion is that it was the job of some Hindu extremist groups in collusion with their sympathisers with men in uniform,” MSD said.

“The world is convinced — on the basis of evidence provided by the Indian government — that the terrorists responsible for 26/11 came from Pakistan and belonged to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a terrorist outfit and a sworn enemy of India. That is why there is demand from governments all over that the Pakistan government act, firmly and swiftly against the Pakistan-based perpetrators of terror. Very surprisingly, MSD said, Mr Antulay, a minister in the Union Cabinet, has similar doubts,” Film actress Shabana Azmi, voiced similar sentiments against Mr Antulay during a meeting of Muslims in Delhi. “Mr Antulay owes an apology to the Mumbai police, to all citizens of India and to Indian Muslims in particular. MSD expects Mr Antulay to assume responsibility for his outrage and immediately tender his resignation,” the statement signed by Mr Akhtar said.