- Title: INDIA: Opposition demands execution of convict on parliament attack anniversary.
- Date: 13th December 2012
- Summary: NEW DELHI, INDIA (DECEMBER 13, 2012) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI - NO ACCESS BBC) EXTERIOR OF PARLIAMENT FRAMED PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE MARTYRS, PLACED ABOVE THE PLAQUE READING THEIR NAMES GUARDS GIVING SALUTE TO THE MARTYRS INDIAN VICE PRESIDENT HAMID ANSARI AND SPEAKER OF THE LOWER HOUSE OF THE PARLIAMENT MEIRA KUMAR STANDING WITH OTHER DIGNITARIES ANSARI STANDING WITH INDIAN PRIME MINISTER MANMOHAN SINGH AND CHIEF OF RULING CONGRESS PARTY SONIA GANDHI GUARDS STANDING ANSARI PAYING FLORAL TRIBUTE LEADER OF OPPOSITION IN LOWER HOUSE OF THE PARLIAMENT, SUSHMA SWARAJ, PAYING FLORAL TRIBUTE GANDHI PAYING FLORAL TRIBUTE INDIA'S INTERIOR MINISTER, SUSHIL KUMAR SHINDE, PAYING FLORAL TRIBUTE (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) SENIOR LEADER OF INDIA'S MAIN OPPOSITION BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY, SUSHMA SWARAJ, SAYING: "We have paid tribute to the martyrs of the parliament attack. However, the real tribute will be an assurance by the interior minister in the parliament that they have fixed a date for the hanging of the convict and this will come as a respite for the family of those who sacrificed their lives." SENIOR LEADER OF INDIA'S MAIN OPPOSITION BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY, LAL KRISHNA ADVANI TALKING TO LEADER OF INDIA'S COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA (CPI), D. RAJA SWARAJ STANDING SWARAJ TALKING TO SHINDE AND INDIA'S JUNIOR MINISTER IN INDIA'S PRIME MINISTER OFFICE (PMO), V. NARAYANASAMY CROWD OF DIGNITARIES (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENIOR LEADER OF INDIA'S MAIN OPPOSITION BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY, VENKAIAH NAIDU, SAYING: "On this occasion, the government should implement the judgment of the highest court of the land, Supreme Court, which has given death sentence to Afzal Guru, the person who has committed heinous crime of attacking the highest seat of democracy. He deserves no mercy, no consideration, I do not know what is the reason for the government to delay acting on the highest court's judgment?" A NAME PLATE READING 'M. VENKAIAH NAIDU, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT NAIDU LEAVING IN A CAR (SOUNDBITE) (English) INDIA'S INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING MINISTER, MANISH TEWARI, SAYING: "This is a process, which is playing itself out but I think the fundamental and integral question, which the Bharatiya Janata Party needs to ask itself is how many mercy petitions between 1998 and 2004 did they dispose off, it is because of their indecision, it is because of their vacillation, it is because of their procrastination that you has this pile up taking place. So, the UPA government in a very responsible, in a very systematic manner is now trying to clear that logjam and here you see this quixotic situation, that people who are responsible for creating this situation in the first place are now accusing the UPA government, which is systematically trying to deal with it." NEW DELHI, INDIA (FILE- DECEMBER 13, 2001) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI - NO ACCESS BBC) ARMED SECURITY PERSONS RUNNING TOWARDS THE PARLIAMENT DURING THE ATTACK SOUND OF GUN SHOTS HEARD AND PARLIAMENT OFFICIALS RUNNING GUN BATTLE IN PROGRESS SECURITY GUARDS CLOSING THE GATES OF PARLIAMENT NATIONAL EMBLEM ON THE GATES OF PARLIAMENT OFFICIALS STANDING IN THE CORRIDORS OFFICIALS AND ARMED POLICEMEN HIDING BEHIND A WALL DURING THE ATTACK BODY OF A GUNNED DOWN MILITANT AN AMBULANCE ARRIVING IN THE PARLIAMENT PREMISES BODY OF ANOTHER GUNNED DOWN MILITANT OFFICIAL CARS PARKED IN THE PREMISES NEW DELHI, INDIA (FILE- DECEMBER 18, 2002) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI - NO ACCESS BBC) THE CONVICT OF DELHI PARLIAMENT ATTACK 2001, MOHAMMED AFZAL GURU, STANDING SURROUNDED BY POLICEMEN AFZAL GURU WALKING WITH POLICEMEN
- Embargoed: 28th December 2012 22:27
- Keywords:
- Location: India
- Country: India
- Topics: International Relations,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA6J53ZVE6JPZ425DQCLEE5XBP6
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: India's main opposition said on Thursday (December 13) the execution of the Parliament attack convict, Mohammed Afzal Guru, would be a true homage to the memory of the martyrs killed in the militant attack on the heart of India's democracy in 2001.
Five gunmen stormed the circular red-sandstone parliament complex, seat of the world's largest democracy, last December 13, killing nine people, mostly policemen, before themselves being gunned down.
New Delhi said the attackers, who detonated explosives and hurled grenades, belonged to Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba militant groups fighting its rule in Indian Kashmir and had intended to assassinate top political figures.
On Thursday Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, his cabinet colleagues, federal lawmakers and other dignitaries paid homage to martyrs on the 11th anniversary of attacks.
Mohammed Afzal Guru, who was held guilty in the case, was awarded the death sentence by a Delhi court on December 18, 2002, after being convicted of conspiracy to attack Parliament and waging war against the country and murder.
Following this, Afzal Guru filed a mercy petition with the President, who forwarded it to federal Home Ministry for its comments.
Along with Afzal Guru, his wife Shaukat Hussain Guru was also sentenced to death for her role in the attack. However her punishment was reduced to 10 years in jail on appeal to Supreme Court.
Leaders of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party said execution of Afzal Guru would also bring a sense of justice to the family members of those killed in the deadly shootout 11 years ago.
Senior BJP leader, Sushma Swaraj said the government should not drag its feet on the issue any more.
"We have paid tribute to the martyrs of the parliament attack. However, the real tribute will be an assurance by the interior minister in the parliament that they have fixed a date for the hanging of the convict and this will come as a respite for the family of those who sacrificed their lives," said Swaraj.
There was also a third accused in the case - Abdul Rehman Geelani, a college lecturer from New Delhi - who was acquitted by the country's apex court after the high court reversed the death sentence given to him by a local court.
The chorus demanding execution of Afzal Guru grew louder with BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu questioning the delay.
"On this occasion, the government should implement the judgment of the highest court of the land, Supreme Court, which has given death sentence to Afzal Guru, the person who has committed heinous crime of attacking the highest seat of democracy. He deserves no mercy, no consideration, I do not know what is the reason for the government to delay acting on the highest court's judgment?" said Naidu.
Tensions between India and Pakistan soared after the attack with the nuclear-armed rivals mobilising nearly a million troops on their border before global diplomatic efforts reeled them back from the brink of war. Pakistan denied involvement in the raid.
Information and Broadcasting Minister, Manish Tewari defended the government over delay in taking a decisive action over Guru, saying the law would take its own due course.
"This is a process, which is playing itself out but I think the fundamental and integral question, which the Bharatiya Janata Party needs to ask itself is how many mercy petitions between 1998 and 2004 did they dispose off, it is because of their indecision, it is because of their vacillation, it is because of their procrastination that you has this pile up taking place. So, the UPA government in a very responsible, in a very systematic manner is now trying to clear that logjam and here you see this quixotic situation, that people who are responsible for creating this situation in the first place are now accusing the UPA government, which is systematically trying to deal with it," said Tewari.
Last month, India had secretly hanged Mohammad Ajmal Kasab, the lone survivor of the Pakistan-based militant squad responsible for a rampage through Mumbai that killed 166 people, before the fourth anniversary of the assault on the financial capital. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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