Executions not a barometer of patriotism: Congress

Congress on Saturday said the message of ‘zero tolerance’ against terrorism has been sent through the execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, close on the heels of Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab's hanging.
 
Party spokesman Rashid Alvi said, "After Independence, two major acts of terror have taken place in the country -- the attack on Parliament and the Mumbai terror strikes -- and those who were responsible for both have been hanged."
 
Kasab was hanged in Pune's Yerawada jail on November 21 last year.
 
"We have sent the message to the world that we cannot tolerate terrorism at any cost. If someone tries to commit (an act of terror), he will be punished. The people of our country and the government have zero tolerance against terrorism," he said.
 
Hitting out at the opposition National Democratic Alliance, he said those terrorists who were released in the Kandahar plane hijack incident

eventually made the conspiracy to attack Parliament.
 
Another party spokesman Sandeep Dikshit said, "The law has taken its course. Justice has been done".
 
His party colleague Abhishek Singhvi said the decision to execute Afzal Guru "vindicates Congress’s stand that it is the culmination of the constitutional and legal process."
 
"We have never played divisive politics on this issue as the BJP has done. We have not, as BJP does, tried to make executions a barometer of our patriotism or jingoism," he said.
 
"As to critics regarding why it (the execution) was carried out before the budget session of Parliament, such irresponsible and childish opposition deserves no response," he added.
 
Afzal Guru was hanged in Tihar Jail on Saturday at 8 am.
 
The mercy plea of 43-year-old Guru, who was sentenced to death in 2002 by a special court , was rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee a few days ago.