New Delhi: With J&K Assembly slated to
discuss a resolution seeking clemency for Parliament attack
convict Afzal Guru, a BJP youth wing delegation on Monday met the
President and said the death sentence awarded to the terrorist
should be carried out or it would set a bad precedent.
Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) chief Anurag
Thakur led the delegation which met President Pratibha Patil.
BJP national secretary Varun Gandhi expressed his views on the
issue on his Twitter handle, saying, "Vote on Afzal Guru
sentence an instance of partisan politics. A national cause
has been irresponsibly turned into a bitterly divisive
debate."
Thakur insisted that the debate in itself would be a
"travesty of our democracy and judicial process".
He said this would set a bad precedent if convicted
terrorists could avoid the penalties laid down in our criminal
justice system.
The Jammu and Kashmir unit of BJP today announced
state-wide protests on September 28, when the J-K Assembly is
set to discuss and vote on a resolution against the death
sentence given to Guru by the Supreme Court in the December
13, 2001 terror attack. His mercy petition has already been
rejected by the President.
The Tamil Nadu Assembly had recently passed a
resolution against the death sentence given to three persons
involved in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv
Gandhi.
After meeting the President, Thakur said, "A vote on this
issue would trivialise the sacrifices of the men and women who
died on that day as well as those who have suffered in other
acts of terrorism.
"It would hurt the morale of our security forces which
continue to fight against the menace of terrorism. It would
further strengthen the resolve of the terrorist groups working
against India."
PTI
First Published: Monday, September 26, 2011, 19:49