Two years after the UPA Government secretly hanged Parliament attack convict Mohd Afzal Guru on February 9, 2013, the Congress has now admitted that not allowing Afzal’s family to meet him was a “mistake” and the demand for return of his mortal remains was a humanitarian issue.
The written apology submitted by five Congress MlAs hailing from Jammu & Kashmir was handed over to Independent MlA Engineer Abdul Rasheed in lieu of his crucial vote to ensure victory of Ghulam Nabi Azad in the Rajya Sabha polls.
Though Ghulam Nabi Azad has been maintaining silence over the complete U-turn taken by his party on the sensitive issue, the apology submitted by his loyalists has already stirred a hornets’ nest.
As parts of Srinagar witnessed complete bandh to mark Guru’s second death anniversary, Azad was still accepting congratulatory messages and meeting well wishers to celebrate his narrow victory.
In a written statement, chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Shah Geelani said: “The apology of the five Congress MlAs in connection with Afzal’s hanging is nothing but a farce. The National Conference, the PDP and the Congress are equally responsible for hanging of Afzal Guru. Their seeking forgiveness for this crime is a proof of their wicked politics.”
Ahead of the polling on Saturday, Abdul Rasheed said he would vote for Azad only if the Congress apologises for hanging Guru without allowing him to meet his family and back his demand for return of Guru’s mortal remains.
left with no other option, Azad convinced his loyalist MlAs to furnish a written apology to Rasheed. late on Saturday afternoon, before Rasheed reached the Civil Secretariat complex, five MlAs, GM Saroori, Vikar Rasool, Haji Rashid, Mohd Amin Bhat and Gulzar Wani, submitted a signed statement that they support Engineer Rasheed’s demand.
According to the written statement the return of mortal remains of Afzal Guru is a humanitarian issue and Rasheed’s resolution in this regard could have been looked into from a humanitarian angle.
Rasheed had brought a resolution to this effect in the previous Assembly. Interacting with reporters after casting his vote, Rasheed said that admission of guilt by Congress legislators was a “victory of the people of Kashmir.”
“The Congress MlAs have apologized, saying that not allowing Afzal’s family to meet him was a mistake and the demand for return of his mortal remains was a humanitarian issue,” Rasheed said.