Wish Rahul had mentioned Afzal Guru also: Mehbooba Mufti

Zee Media Bureau/Ajith Vijay Kumar Srinagar: A day after she said that people of Jammu and Kashmir are discriminated against, People`s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday questioned Rahul Gandhi`s comments against the pardon to the assassins of Rajiv Gandhi when he had maintained silence when Afzal Guru was hanged.

“I wish Rahul Ji had mentioned Afzal Guru also, how he was executed hurriedly and in a hush manner,” Mufti said. Her comments came after Rahul expressed displeasure against the pardon to the assassins of his father and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. “If someone who kills a prime minister is released, how will the common man get justice? The prime minister gave up his life... (but the) prime minister does not get justice," Rahul said. Mehbooba Mufti had earlier said the decision of the apex court has made the people of Kashmir realize that laws were completely different for Kashmir and for the country. "By this decision, the Supreme Court has once again made the people of Jammu and Kashmir realize that there is a separate law for Kashmir and the rest of the country. I think they are now sure that they have always been discriminated against be it on any issue," said Mufti. "The honourable Supreme Court had once said that `to satisfy the collective conscience of the country`, death sentence was given to Afzal Guru. Although, there were many things which were unexplained and there were not much evidence against him," she said. "Today Rajiv Gandhi`s assassins, who was no less a symbol of Indian nationhood than the parliament in itself, which was also attacked, are not being treated in the same way. The hearing has come today which is a good thing, but I wish that they had given a similar decision in other cases such as that of Afzal guru. By this decision they have promoted a feeling of alienation in the state and it is not only me who is saying this, but the other political leaders would say the same," she added. (With agency inputs)