BJP wants Afzal Guru hanged next

New Delhi, Nov 21 (IANS) Calling Ajmal Amir Kasab’s execution a case of “better late than never”, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Wednesday demanded that Afzal Guru, convicted in the Dec 2001 parliament attack case, be hanged next.

“It took us four years to finally hang him… Better late than never,” BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told mediapersons after the 26/11 Pakistani terrorist was executed in Pune’s Yerawada jail.

Asking the government to expedite the whole process of mercy petitions, Prasad also demanded action against Afzal Guru, who masterminded the attack on Parliament House over a decade ago.

“The Supreme Court has rejected his (Afzal Guru’s) 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 the whole process of mercy petition,” Prasad said.

Similar views were expressed by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Digvijaya Singh.

“What about Afzal Guru, who attacked parliament, our temple of democracy, in 2001? That offence predates Kasab’s heinous act by many years,” Modi said, on micro blogging website Twitter.

In rare consonance, Digvijaya Singh tweeted: “Finally Kasab hanged. GoI (government of India) should pursue the case of the Handlers in Pakistan. Afzal Guru’s case should also be expedited now.”

BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi termed the hanging “a stern warning to the enemies of India, especially those across the border who want to terrorise India”.

Another party spokesperson, Sayed Shahnawaz Hussain said the execution of Kasab came as “balm on the wounds of the victims”.

“Kasab’s hanging will act as a balm on the wounds of the people of Mumbai but their wounds are still fresh,” Hussain said.

He added that the victims of the Mumbai terrorist attack would get real relief only when “Kasab’s handlers across the border are brought to justice”.

Kasab, who was hanged at 7.30 a.m., was the only one caught alive, of the 10 Pakistani terrorists who sneaked into Mumbai on the night of Nov 26, 2008.

The Nov 26−29, 2008, terror siege killed 166 people and injured 300.

The decision on his execution was taken after President Pranab Mukherjee rejected his mercy petition Nov 5. The decision was conveyed to the Maharashtra government Nov 8.

IANS 2012-11-21 11:52:05