After the first round of face-off over the release of hardline separatist leader Masarat Alam the alliance partners are set to face another litmus test during the Budget Session beginning from March 18 over the issue of supporting a private members resolution on returning mortal remains of Mohd Afzal Guru to his family.
The new found camaraderie would be tested on the floor of the House as one of the Independent legislator from langate Assembly segment, Engineer Abdul Rashid has moved a private members resolution seeking return of mortal remains of Afzal Guru. A group of PDP legislators had earlier issued a statement to woo Engineer Abdul Rashid to secure his vote during the MlC polls on March 2.
The joint statement issued by the PDP legislators stated, “PDP has always maintained that late Afzal Guru’s hanging was travesty of justice and constitutional requirements/process was not followed in hanging him out of turn. The way he was picked up from serial no.28 and singled out has been condemned by PDP and it stands by the demand for return of his mortal remains, and the party promises to follow vigorously for the return of the mortal remains.
We believe that the resolution brought by Er. Rashid to seek clemency for late Afzal Guru was justified and should have been adopted by the House at that time,” PDP legislators stated. On the other hand, PDP's alliance partner in the State BJP, already batting on the back foot Thursday made it clear that efforts being made by vested interests to vitiate peace and tranquility of the State will be thwarted by the BJP by concerted and strong efforts.
Chief spokesman of the BJP Sunil Sethi said, “an effort to make hero out of a traitor is an attempt to give fresh impetus to dying militancy, which will never be allowed by BJP. His mortal remains coming to state will create a new terror centre and rallying point for anti national forces and will be used by militants and separatists to carry forward their nefarious agenda. Sethi said, a strategy to deal with situation should be formulated jointly before hand to deal with situation.