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Friday, Dec 29, 2006
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Revoke death sentence to Saddam: NCP

Staff Reporter

Submit memorandum to Manmohan Singh and David C. Mulford

NEW DELHI: Seeking revocation of the death sentence on former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, the Nationalist Congress Party workers staged a demonstration here on Thursday demanding that the Centre intervene in the issue.

Led by NCP national general secretary Tariq Anwar, the protestors shouted slogans against U.S. President George W. Bush and burnt his effigy outside the party headquarters here.

The party also submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, and U.S. Ambassador to India, David C. Mulford, urging them to immediately revoke the death sentence handed out to the former Iraqi leader.

"We demand that the Indian Government intervene on the issue of the punishment granted to Saddam Hussein. He has been a friend of India and has supported us on many sensitive issues. The Centre must discuss this matter with the United Nations and ask them to mediate and suspend his death sentence without delay," Mr. Anwar said.

Delhi NCP president Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said Mr. Bush had no right to "meddle" in the internal affairs of other countries.

"The U.S. invaded Iraq on the pretext that the country was in possession of weapons of mass destruction [WMD]. But they could not prove anything. Mr. Bush should take moral responsibility for that failure and apologise to the whole world," he said.

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