J&K legislator seeks clemency for Afzal Guru

An independent member of legislative assembly in the 87-member Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly has submitted a resolution to the speaker seeking clemency for Parliament attack convict, Afzal Guru.

Engineer Rashid, who won the 2008 legislative assembly polls from the north Kashmir Langate constituency said, "I have submitted a resolution to the speaker of the state assembly seeking clemency for Afzal Guru".

Rashid said his decision to submit the resolution had not been prompted by the recent comment by state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on the contentious issue, "Omar has already said in one of his tweets that my resolution had been submitted prior to his tweet on the subject.

"I think he has already clarified the position in this regard and I need not make any further comment on it". Omar had posted his comment on the Tmail Nadu assembly resolution seeking clemency for three killers of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Omar had said a similar resolution by the state assembly would not have attracted a muted reaction as happened in case of the Tamil Nadu assembly resolution.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has criticised Omar for his comment alleging the chief minister was trying to appease the separatists in the state.