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Agra mayor says Musharraf is not welcome

George Iype in Agra

Mayor of Agra Kishori Lal Mahor on Saturday made it clear that, as far as he is concerned, Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf is not welcome in the city.

Mahor is so upset over the general's visit scheduled for Sunday that he has decided to give tradition a pass and not present the Pakistani guest of honour with a key to the Agra town.

This, he said, is his way of showing solidarity with the families of Kargil martyrs, nine of which have made Agra their home.

"Why should I present him with a silver key to my city, when we all know that he was the architect of the Kargil war. When I look at the lives of these Kargil widows, it is just anger that fills my heart," Mahor told rediff.com.

The Kargil widows and their families will hold a silent protest near the Jaypee Palace Hotel, where Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and President Musharraf will hold a summit meeting on Sunday.

The widows want Musharraf to apologise for the "completely uncalled for" aggression in Kargil.

The tradition of gifting a silver key to the city to a distinguished guest is a goodwill gesture that dates back to the pre-independence India. Among those in possession of a key to Agra are US President Bill Clinton, Britain's Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana.

A group of Agra-based voluntary agencies are helping the Kargil widows in holding a demonstration near the venue of the summit.

"We want to remind the Pakistani president that it is he who killed our husbands. The first thing that Musharraf should do upon reaching Agra is to apologise for his sins," said Shakuntala Devi, whose husband Subedar Layak Singh Bhadoria of 27 Rajputana Rifles, died while fighting the Pakistani intruders in Kargil.

Devi, like other Kargil widows, now lives in a small flat given to her by the Uttar Pradesh government on the outskirts of Agra.

ALSO SEE:
Agra martyrs' widows demand apology for Kargil

Indo-Pak Summit 2001: The Complete Coverage

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