New Delhi: Just a day after it told the Supreme Court that the Kohinoor was a gift to the British, the government on Tuesday said it's making all efforts to bring the diamond back to India.
Issuing a clarification, the government said it "wishes to put on record that certain news items appearing in the press regarding the Kohinoor Diamond are not based on facts".
The government further reiterated its "resolve to make all possible efforts to bring back the Kohinoor diamond in an amicable manner".
In a shift from its earlier stand in the Supreme Court, the central government said the factual position of the issue was that it is sub judice.
Reacting to the development, India-born British Labour Party politician Lord Meghnad Desai said the government should be decisive, as going back and forth over the issue was causing confusion.
Speaking to CNN-News18, he said "I feel the government is sensitive to state elections, this makes the government look foolish."
The Central government had on April 18 told the Supreme Court that the Kohinoor diamond was not stolen by the British but was in fact gifted to them by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
The reply came after the apex court asked the government to clarify its stand on a PIL seeking return of Kohinoor diamond to the country.
This stand was contradictory to the one taken by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) over the issue.
The PIL was filed by All India Human Rights & Social Justice Front seeking directions to the High Commissioner of United Kingdom for return of the diamond, besides several other treasures.
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