’Kasab hanged, what about Afzal Guru?’ asks BJP

Mangalore Today/ NDTV

New Delhi, Nov 21: Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab’s swift execution this morning has brought attention to another prominent prisoner on death row, Afzal Guru, who was convicted for conspiracy in the December 13, 2001, attack on Parliament and was sentenced to death by the Supreme Court in 2004.
 
Guru’s death sentence was scheduled to be carried out on October 20, 2006, but was stayed after his wife filed a mercy petition. The Home Ministry had recommended in August last year to then President Pratibha Patil that Afzal Guru be hanged.

 

After Sushil Kumar Shinde took over as Home Minister, as normal procedure, as many as 12 mercy petitions have been sent to him for reconsideration, including that of Guru’s.

Two other mercy petitions are also lying with the President.

The BJP today sought that Afzal Guru be executed expeditiously too. The party’s Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "The Supreme Court has rejected his plea, and his review petition has also been rejected. But why has the government not taken any action? I hope the government will now expedite to whole process of mercy petition."
 
The Congress’ Digvijaya Singh too tweeted hours after Kasab was executed, "Finally Kasab hanged. GOI should pursue the case of the Handlers in Pakistan. Afzal Guru’s case should also be expedited now."

He was in rare consonance with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who tweeted minutes before the senior Congress leader, "What about Afzal Guru, who attacked Parliament, our temple of democracy, in 2001? That offence predates Kasab’s heinous act by many years."

There have been demands for clemancy for Guru from various quarters including human rights activists like Arundhati Roy, who have contended that Guru was not given a fair trial.

 

Decision on Afzal Guru expected soon: Govt sources


After the execution of Ajmal Kasab, government sources on Wednesday said that the government could now expedite the decision on Parliament attack death row convict Afzal Guru.

On Guru’s mercy plea, sources said that President Pranab Mukherjee has sent 12 files to the Union Home Ministry for recommendation in this regard.

Afzal Guru was convicted of conspiracy in the December 2001 attack on Parliament and was sentenced to death by the Supreme Court in 2004. However, Guru’s execution was stayed following a mercy petition filed by his wife. He remains on death row.