The Hindu : National : Azad has justified mercy for Afzal: BJP

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Wednesday, Nov 01, 2006
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Azad has justified mercy for Afzal: BJP

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party has alleged that Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad tacitly supported a lesser sentence for Mohammad Afzal Guru, who has been awarded death in the Parliament House attack case.

``In his explanation, Mr. Azad has justified clemency for Afzal and tacitly supported a lesser sentence, even while stating that he had not sought a pardon when he spoke to the Prime Minister some time back," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.

Mr. Azad's observation that he was against capital punishment and it was better to put someone behind bars for life and make him go through the ordeal instead of taking his life and relieving it in an instant was an ``after thought'' expressed ``after seeing the country's mood against any clemency,'' Mr. Javadekar said.

The BJP's view was that by talking about life imprisonment, ``Mr. Azad is still trying to save Afzal."

The party also expressed astonishment at "the Congress playing politics on a sensitive matter related to national security."

``This has become clear today, with Mr. Azad admitting that he did not bother to contradict media reports that he sought clemency for Afzal because those reports had put the lid on the agitations on the issue in the Kashmir Valley.''

It was an admission that the Congress was playing politics with the issue of Afzal's conviction, Mr. Javadekar said.

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