KL Report
Srinagar
Rejecting the statement of Prime Minister, where he had said the return of Muhammad Afzal Guru’s body to his family would be discussed in the parliament, senior National Conference leader and Member of Parliament, Mehboob Beg said handing over of Afzal’s body to his family was a decision to be taken by the executive.
“Parliament has got nothing to do with it. It is not a matter to be debated but a decision to be taken. If PM is sincere he should as a mark of sympathy and to heal the wounds of the family hand over the body to them”, said Beg while talking to a local news agency KNS.
He said the state government has already given its consent by forwarding the family’s representation to the Government of India. Beg said he would take up Afzals issue in the Parliament in the upcoming session.
He said the Prime Minister has admitted that the home minster had mishandled the case. “Even the speed post which was sent to the Afzals family was nothing but aimed at rubbing salt on the wounds”, he added.
Terming the protest program of the Hurriyat Conference as ‘a useless activity’, senior National Conference leader and Member of Parliament Dr Mehboob Beg today said strikes would yield nothing and ‘would only prove another punishment for Kashmiri people’.
Beg suggested that if the Hurriyat leaders were sincere they should stop trying to gain political mileage out Afzal’s hanging. “Instead they along with the other main stream leaders should join CM’s voice for getting back Afzal’s body”, he said.
Talking to KNS over phone from New Dehli Beg said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had consistently expressed apprehensions of political fallout of Afzal’s execution.
“I many times discussed this matter in Parliament and Omer Abdullah also warned time and again that such a decision would easily destroy the prevailing fragile peace of the state but nobody paid a heed to him”, he said.
“We had witnessed a peaceful 2011 and 2012 after so much of hard work but one wrong decision has undone all our good work”, Beg lamented.
He said it was impossible for politicians like him to explain the selective execution of Guru to the people of Kashmir.
“As this unfortunate decision has been carried out, will the Govt of India suggest to me as to how I could make the Kashmiri people understand why Rajwana the killer of panjab CM was forgiven after submitting his mercy petition”, he asked.
Coming down heavily on the members of BJP and Akali Dal, an annoyed beig said, “Their memory is so volatile that they have forgotten how they supported Rajwana’s mercy petition and persuaded the president on the matter that such a thing will revive the militancy in Panjab. Fearing the repercussions the President then accepted his mercy petition”, said Beg.
Questioning the selective hanging of Guru, he expressed anger over the fact that Guru’s family was not informed on rejection of his mercy plea.
“Suicide bomber killed Rajiv Gandhi and when the mercy petition of conspirators was rejected, they were informed in earnest and given a chance to challenge the rejection of their mercy petition in Madras High Court. Their execution was also stopped. Why was not the same done in Afzals case? Why was he not given a chance? Why this double standard?”, asked Beg.
Castigating BJP for its communal politics Mr.beg said, “when Kasab was hanged BJP beat drums for Afzal’s execution and when afzal is no more can they answer me that why don’t they ask for rizwans and Rajiv Gandi’s killers execution.
Beg regretted that the Afzals unfortunate execution has further alienated people of Kashmir and has derailed whole peace process.
Criticizing the Central government, the MP alleged that the people of India are being misled by their own leaders.
“The Indian nation should understand that the parliament attackers were killed at that very time, at that very spot. They should realize a simple fact that Afzal was neither present there nor was he linked with any terrorist organization which is the verdict of Supreme Court”.
In response to a question whether the CM was aware of Afzal’s execution beforehand, Dr beigh said, “Just 12 hours before the execution Omer Abdullah was informed that they have taken the decision and now he should get ready to see that how would he handle the apprehended situation”, he said.
“Though Omer Abdullah criticized the central Government for not letting Afzal to meet his family. The same thing was done by PM three days later. We should not forget that Omer Abdullah is the only CM in power who has declared in Assembly that Kashmir had only acceded to India and not merged with it”, said the senior NC leader.
