New Delhi - India's Minority Affairs Minister Abdul Rahman Antulay has offered his resignation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh amid controversy over his remarks on the death of a top police officer during the Mumbai terrorist attacks, media reports said Friday.

Antulay had indicated that the death of Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare could be linked to bombings in the Muslim-dominated Malegaon town.

Karkare was investigating the bombings and members of radical Hindu groups were the main suspects.

Antulay, whose remarks caused uproar in Parliament, with opposition parties demanding his removal, had sent a resignation letter to Singh's office, the NDTV network reported, quoting government sources.

But there was no official confirmation whether the resignation was accepted by Prime Minister Singh, the report said.

Antulay, 79, said in Parliament on Wednesday there was controversy surrounding Karkare's death.

"Superficially speaking they (terrorists) had no reason to kill Karkare. Whether he was a victim of terrorism or terrorism plus something I do not know," Antulay was quoted as saying by the IANS news agency.

"Karkare found that there are non-Muslims involved in acts of terrorism in some cases. Any person going to the roots of terrorism has always been the target," Antulay said. "There is more than what meets the eye."

Karkare was among the security personnel who died in the almost 60-hour terrorist siege in India's financial hub, Mumbai, that left a total of 173 people dead.

The ATS squad led by Karkare had arrested 11 people in connection with the September blasts in Malegaon in which six people were killed.

The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party said the comments had weakened India's position on the Mumbai attacks which Delhi believes were carried out by Pakistani militants.

The Congress party that heads the ruling United Progressive Alliance has distanced itself from Antulay's comments, saying they were his "personal views."

Congress party sources later said they would seek an explanation from Antulay about his comments.

Antulay is the fourth minister to submit his resignation in connection with the Mumbai attacks.

Federal Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh as well as his deputy RR Patil resigned after admitting moral responsibility for failing to prevent the terrorist siege. (dpa)