BJP youth wing meets prez on Afzal Guru issue

With Jammu and Kashmir assembly slated to discuss a resolution seeking clemency for Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, a Bharatiya Janata Party youth wing delegation on Sunday met President Pratibha Patil and said the death sentence awarded to the terrorist should be carried out or it would set a bad precedent.

Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha chief Anurag Thakur-led the delegation which met President Pratibha Patil Patil.

BJP 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 on Monday 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."