Neeraj Rohmetra
JAMMU, Apr 21: In a major revelation, former Union Home Secretary R K Singh has categorically stated that the top echelons of the Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) including the present Union Home Minister, Sushil Kumar Shinde and their coalition partner Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah were well informed about the details of “Operation three-star” — which ended in execution of Parliament attack convict, Afzal Guru on February, this year.
Reacting to allegations of Union Minister for Renewable Energy and National Conference President, Dr Farooq Abdullah that he (Mr Singh) had allegedly plotted Guru’s execution without informing the Union Cabinet Ministers from the State, the former Home Secretary told EXCELSIOR, “Farooq Sahab should first have discussed the matter with his own son and present Chief Minister of State, Omar Abdullah before making such wild allegations”.
“Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah is part of the UPA led coalition Government and was very well kept in loop when the Union Home Minister had ordered implementation of Operation three-star”, said Mr Singh.
“Dr Farooq Abdullah is perhaps not aware of the facts and therefore should first hold detailed discussion with his son. If he is still not satisfied with the ground realities, then I would advise him to contact his own Cabinet Colleague at the Centre — Sushil Kumar Shinde, who is present Union Home Minister”, said former Home Secretary, Raj Kumar Singh, who is contesting election from Ara Parliamentary constituency in Bihar on BJP mandate.
“I would also suggest that Mr Abdullah seek an appointment with Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh and hold detailed interaction with him on all the issues pertaining to Afzal Guru”, he said, adding, “I’m pretty sure that after meeting the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister and even after talking with his own son, he would have nothing to say”.
When asked if such a major decision was possible without taking into confidence the top leadership of country and State, Mr Singh said, “the top hierarch of the UPA and its key constituents was well aware about the decision and its implication in country and the State of Jammu and Kashmir”.
Singh, who retired from service in June, last year and joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been critical of the UPA Government for its handling of national security, suggesting that it was being compromised for vote bank politics.
Pertinently, Union Home Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah had yesterday while talking to reporters after addressing an election rally at Palpora, Eidgah in old city in Srinagar had stated that the former Union Home Secretary had plotted Guru’s execution without informing the Union Minister from the State and the matter had also been brought to the notice of Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh.
All the mainstream political parties including National Conference (NC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and even the separatist ranks have been demanding the mortal remains of Afzal Guru, which are buried inside Tihar jail. Even Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah had pleaded his case with the Prime Minister and urged him to intervene in the case.
In a top secret operation on February 10 this year, the 2001 Parliament attack case convict Mohammed Afzal Guru was hanged and buried inside the Tihar jail complex. The incident
ended the decade-long uncertainty over the execution of the surrendered militant from Sopore, Kashmir, as his mercy petition got caught up in a political slugfest between the Congress-led UPA Government and the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.
Immediately after the execution, an angry Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had slammed the execution of Afzal Guru and had warned that this would reinforce a sense of alienation and injustice among generation of youth in the Valley. He was also critical of the Centre for not allowing Guru to meet his family before he was hanged.
Afzal Guru was convicted of playing a central role in the entire conspiracy leading to the attack on Parliament on December 13, 2001. He had been on death row for the past 10 years since he was first convicted and sentenced by a special court in December 2002, while his death penalty was upheld by the Supreme Court on August 4, 2005.
The Ministry of Home Affairs had rejected Guru’s petition in 2011 and forwarded it to Pratibha Patil, who was President at the time. Ms Patil chose not to act, but when Mr Mukherjee took over as President last year, he returned all pending mercy petitions, including that of Afzal Guru and Ajmal Kasab – the Mumbai terror attack case convict – for reconsideration after Mr Shinde took over as Home Minister in August 2012.
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