Rajnath Singh was responding to questions about the NIA's investigation in the Malegaon blasts case. (File Photo)
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today dismissed allegations of political "interference" in the Malegaon blast case investigation conducted by NIA, saying probe agencies in the country function with "full-fledged autonomy".
"All our investigation agencies have full-fledged autonomy...There is no interference from our side or from the government's side," he said while interacting with reporters on the sidelines of a Border Security Force event here.
National Investigation Agency (NIA) had last week, in a complete U-turn, dropped all charges against Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and five others in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.
Charges under the stringent MCOCA law were dropped against all the other 10 accused, including Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit, as part of its charge sheet filed in a Mumbai court.
Asked about a possible timeline by when NIA investigators could travel to Pakistan to conduct their probe in the Pathankot terror attack case, Mr Singh said the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries have talked on the issue.
"That time Pakistan's response was positive...NIA also wants to go there and talks have taken place at the Foreign Secretary level," he said.