Kasab verdict a strong message to terror: Parties

The death sentence to Ajmal Kasab for the 26/11 attacks was welcomed by political parties on Thursday with Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and Left maintaining that it should send a strong message in the fight against terrorism.

"India has emerged a prouder democracy governed by not only rule of law but sobriety and balance," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said.

Another party spokesperson Manish Tewari said, "It will send out a message to all the perpetrators and masterminds of terror that if they attempt to wage a proxy war against India then not only they would meet with resolute force of the Indian State, the Indian judiciary process will also react to it appropriately."

Reacting to the verdict of the special court in Mumbai, BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said, "Kasab had waged a war against Indian sovereignty and got due punishment.... The message to Pakistan should be loud and clear that we cannot tolerate attacks on us. Pakistan has to do its job and the masterminds have to be punished."

She at the same time maintained that the government has a big job ahead 'as there is no clarity when India will get access to other accused like David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Rana.'

Communist Party of India general secretary A B Bardhan said, "I think he (Kasab) has got what he deserved. There was no other option. The judge must have considered all aspects and sentenced him on several counts."

Senior Samajwadi Party leader Brij Bhushan Tewari, while welcoming the sentence, said, "This is incomplete prosecution as the main players behind the Mumbai terror attacks are still at large. David Coleman Headley is in US and Hafiz Saeed is in Pakistan. Unless these people are extradited and tried, relatives of those killed will not get complete justice."

Congress spokesman Shakeel Ahmed said at the All India Congress Committee briefing that the sentence is a 'lesson for those who even think of doing any such act in India that the Indian judicial process is strong enough to take the toughest action in such eventualities.'

"We welcome the decision. We believe that the entire country, which was feeling wounded after 26/11, has got some consolation with the decision. We considered it an attack on India and not simply on Mumbai," he said.