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Shinde’s statement a ‘poll plank’: Guru’s family
Published on
Thursday, 27 March 2014
8:24 pm
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‘If Shinde is true in his words, let him return Guru’s
body’
Srinagar: The family of Mohammad Afzal
Guru on Thursday took strong exception to Home Minister Sushil Kumar
Shinde’s statement in which he said that Guru’s execution was mishandled.
Talking to KNS, Aijaz Guru, brother of Afzal Guru said
that if Shinde is so remorseful on the Guru’s execution was handled by his department,
then the government of India should return the body of his brother.
“Shinde’s remarks are simply a poll plank. The statement
has been made keeping in view the ensuing Parliament elections in India
especially in Kashmir where the Congress has aligned with Kashmir based
National Conference,” Aijaz told KNS.
He also took a jibe at the political mainstream of Jammu
and Kashmir saying that they also talk about Guru just to reap their political
benefits in Kashmir. “We have already said that if chief minister Jay Lalitha
and Punjab government could save their convicts from gallows why did the
mainstream parties of Kashmir failed to do so,” Aijaz asked further.
The brother of Afzal said that his family wants that
Guru’s body be returned to it as soon as possible. “Everyone including
mainstream, separatists, civil society, bar associations, and all those who
matter should raise their voice in support of return of Guru’s mortal remains
from Tihar jail,” he appealed.
Aijaz said that his brother’s execution involves many
procedural lapses. “He was hanged while the death sentence of many other
convicts was commuted to the life sentence by the supreme court. Not only this,
but the Kashmir’s mainstream parties should introspect about Tamil Nadu and
Punjab government’s functioning as to how they could save their citizens from
gallows,” he added.
Pertinently Guru’s family had received a letter informing
it about the execution plans two days after Guru was hanged in Tihar Jail in
the morning on February 9, 2013.
Shinde’s while talking a Delhi based news channel
yesterday, said: “As far as Afzal Guru's case is concerned, I had already
instructed and given the file four days before. And that was the job of the
Secretaries (to inform his family). But something went wrong somewhere and they
didn't inform a day before but informed in the night that the following day was
his execution. In such cases I am of the view that the family must be informed
properly as per jail rules.”
Convicted in 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament in
which 13 people were killed, Guru had repeatedly pleaded innocence and his wife
Tabbasum had also filed a petition in 2006 asking for his death sentence to be
commuted, which was rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee days before he was
hanged. (KNS)
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