Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 4: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today charged the Opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with playing politics over the dead bodies of people including 2001 Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru and dispelled the impression being created by the Opposition party as to if he was responsible for everything concerning Guru including his hanging.
In his brief 12 minutes speech in the Legislative Assembly while replying to debate on Guru’s execution after Speaker Mubarak Gul admitted three adjournment motions on the subject, Omar, whose reply was marked by massive uproar created by the PDP MLAs and Independent Engineer Rashid from Well of the House, justified imposition of curfew across the Kashmir Valley in the wake of Guru’s execution saying he didn’t want repeat of 2010 summer in which over 100 people were killed.
The Chief Minister had to go full throat using twin mikes at his table to make his voice heard in the Assembly as well as the media gallery as the PDP members and Engineer Rashid indulged in massive sloganeering from the Well of the House protesting execution of Guru and denial of time to some of the party speakers to take part in the debate.
The Speaker had to adjourn the House twice-first for 13 minutes and second time for about 50 minutes in view of massive protests by almost the entire Opposition. BJP breakaway faction led by Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, BJP MLAs led by Ashok Khajuria, NPP legislators headed by Harshdev Singh and lone JSM MLA Ashwani Sharma walked out of the Assembly and stayed away from the debate on Guru. They abstained from the House till the debate concluded.
PDP legislators led by Mehbooba Mufti staged a walk-out in the House after the Assembly resumed after second adjournment saying the Chief Minister has admitted that his powers were confined to imposition of curfew. “The Chief Minister hasn’t given any assurance on return of Guru’s mortal remains”, Mehbooba said as she led her party MLAs out of the House.
As exclusively reported by the Excelsior today, the Speaker admitted all three adjournment motions on Guru’s execution-moved by NC, PDP and CPM and allowed one member each from the three parties to take part in the debate.
Though the obvious target of the debate was the Congress led UPA Government for secret and selective execution of Guru “for political gains” and not returning his body, no Congress Minister or MLA tried to keep the party’s view point in the House.
PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Minister, Sham Sharma walked up to the chair of Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand during the debate and had discussions with him. Later, Tara Chand walked up to Sham and joined by Agriculture Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir, they held talks for few minutes.
Sham, however, interrupted CPM leader MY Tarigami during his speech saying he should speak within the limits of Constitution and shouldn’t target the apex bodies as the adjournment motion was admitted for post-execution scenario of Afzal Guru. He asked Mr Tarigami not to discuss international politics.
Omar said that PDP only wants to utilise incidents like that of Guru for their vested interests otherwise they do not have any concern either for the family of Guru or the people of the State.
“You want to play dirty politics over blood and shed crocodile tears to astray otherwise your whole record is before the public,” he said informing the House that other than the statement made by Mufti Sayeed regarding Afzal some days back, he has never talked about this issue right from 2006 when the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence to Afzal up to 2013.
Describing it nothing but politics and opportunism to utilise situations for party benefits, Omar said “everyone in the State and the country is aware that I had told the Centre repeatedly that the death sentence of Afzal should be converted into life term.
“I had also conveyed the law and order and security apprehensions of Afzal hanging to the Centre time and again. I held the same position both when I was not in the Government and as the Chief Minister of the State”, Omar said
“I was waiting that leader of single largest party in Legislative Assembly (Mehbooba Mufti) during her speech on the subject would raise some pertinent points and identify the provisions of law, but she had only one objective in her mind to willy-nilly reel me in the incident of Afzal’s hanging as if I had ordered his death sentence, rejected his mercy and moved the lever of hangman’s noose,” he added.
“You have no concern either for Afzal or his family, neither you were concerned about people facing difficulties under curfew, you only wanted the situation go out of control, precious human lives are lost and you had an open field to play politics,” Omar told the PDP leader in the House, who were desperately making attempts to disrupt his speech.
Asserting that the PDP was not “well wisher” of the people of Kashmir, the Chief Minister said the party was playing politics over the dead body of Guru and trying to blame him for everything.
“They (the PDP people) are trying to convey a message as to I gave punishment to Guru, but the fact is that Jammu and Kashmir Government had absolutely no role in the execution.
“The case of Guru can’t be compared with Punjab where the State Government’s permission was required (for hanging of Balwant Singh Rajoana as he had committed the crime in that State) while our permission was not needed as for Guru’s execution as his case was registered in New Delhi”, Omar said, adding at the time of Maqbool Bhat’s hanging in 1984, the State permission was required as he was involved in the killing of a Bank Manager of Kupwara.
Omar said the Union Government’s course of action regarding cases similar to Guru would determine whether Guru’s hanging was “selective and political”.
“There are still such people against whom there are similar allegations (like that of Guru). If those people are hanged, then people of Kashmir will feel that Guru’s hanging was not political in nature,” he said. “Let us wait and watch what action is being taken against others convicted in similar cases”, he added.
“I even today do not accept that Guru was hanged for political reasons”, Omar said, adding, that the course of action regarding similar cases would determine it.
Lashing at PDP for politicising the issue, he said “you have no concern either for Afzal Guru or his family, neither you were concerned about people facing difficulties under curfew, you only wanted the situation go out of control, precious human lives are lost and you had an open field to play politics on the issue.”
Charging the PDP with “shedding crocodile tears” over the execution of Guru, the Chief Minister wanted to know how many letters Mufti Sayeed (the PDP patron) had written to the Centre on mercy plea of Guru.
“They didn’t utter a word till 2013 including the period they were in power. They were not bothered about his execution. They were not concerned even about the common man. They wanted the people to be killed in the protests so that they could exploit the situation for their political interests”, Omar said amidst massive uproar by the PDP MLAs in the House, who along with Engineer Rashid resorted to slogan shouting to disrupt the Chief Minister’s speech but were unable to do so as the CM went louder to make his point.
Admitting that he ordered imposition of curfew and wouldn’t apologise for that as he didn’t want the repeat of 2010 summer, Omar said the PDP was worried as no one was killed in the protests after Guru.
“We didn’t let the situation go out of control, which was not liked by the PDP as they wanted the blood to spill over so that they could play politics over it and gain political mileage”, he added.
He criticised both PDP and separatists of becoming the “traders of death”.
“You have become the traders of death, and you want human blood to shed. You will not change your trait”, he told PDP charging the party with playing `dirty politics’. He added: “safeguarding people was my only concern and I am highly thankful to the people that they understood your tricks and those of separatists and refused to fall in your political game.”
“You want to play politics on blood but not me, you want to see people bleed but not me, you want to gain benefits out of bloodshed but not me and your trait is to utilise these situations for your interests but I am not of that grain, human life is above everything to me, I cannot tolerate that the blood of my people sheds, their safeguarding is my politics and I will continue to do the same,” Omar lamented.
Recalling the events, he said it was on February 8, 2013 at about 8 pm when he was informed by the Union Home Minister that the mercy petition moved by Guru’s family had been rejected by the President of India and the Union Government has decided to hang Guru on 9th February 2013 morning.
“I was asked to make necessary preparations regarding controlling the situation in the State”, Omar said, adding, that his prime concern at that point in time was to save the lives of people and avoid use of force.
The CM said in 2006, when the Supreme Court gave death sentence to Guru, the then Government has imposed curfew for 21 days.
“You want to play dirty politics over blood and shed crocodile tears to astray people otherwise your whole record is before the public”, Omar said.
“Other than statement made by Mufti Sayeed regarding Afzal Guru some days back, Sayeed has never talked about this issue right from 2006 when the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence to Guru up to 2013”, he added.
The Chief Minister also pointed out that he had asked the Centre repeatedly to convert Guru’s death sentence into life term.
“I had also conveyed the law and order and security apprehensions of Afzal Guru hanging to the Centre time and again. I held the same position both when I was not in the Government and as the Chief Minister of the State”, Omar said.
Initiating debate on the adjournment motion, PDP Legislature Party leader Mehbooba Mufti took on the Congress, albeit without naming the party, saying that unable to tackle corruption with no policies and programmes and move ahead of the BJP, they picked up Guru from Serial No. 28 and hanged him to project it as an “achievement”.
“The Government committed the act like a thief commits theft in the night. If the hanging was right, why it was kept secret? The Government should have announced it and allowed the family to meet Guru. The least the Government could do now is to return his mortal remains to the family”, she said.
Pointing out that Guru had neither stormed Parliament not was among those who opened firing, Ms Mufti said if the Government had to go hard on terror, they should have executed the killers of Rajiv Gandhi and Beant Singh.
Saying that the Chief Minister has claimed that he had intuition on Guru’s hanging, Mehbooba regretted that Omar should have at least facilitated meeting between Ghalib (Guru’s son) with his father.
“You (Omar) are at the helm of affairs. You are custodian of the State. You should have at least facilitated the meeting of Ghalib with Guru. The least you could do now is to get mortal remain of Guru restored to his family for last rites”, the PDP president said.
Mehbooba claimed that the Ministry of Home Affairs had written two letters to the State Government on seeking J&K Government’s permission on Guru’s request for lodging him in Kashmir jail. However, she regretted that the State Government had refused consent to lodge him in the local jail.
She said the Centre Government has given a message that if they resolved they can hit Kashmiris where it hits most. She said the Centre didn’t want to alienate Tamils and Sikhs and that was why they didn’t touch the killers of Rajiv Gandhi and Beant Singh and sacrificed Guru as Kashmir had only three Lok Sabha seats, which didn’t matter for them.
“Just like the sacrificial goat is searched by the people and picked up, the Government did the same with Guru by picking up him from Serial No. 28 and executing him to show that it was going hard on terror”, Mehbooba lamented and said: “had Mufti Sayeed been the Chief Minister at present he would have never allowed the execution of Guru”.
“The Government has targeted a particular community”, Mehbooba said while referring to ignoring the killers of Rajiv and Beant Singh. “What is the difference between Rajiv Gandhi and Parliament”? she asked.
Mehbooba said the Government had failed to give any assurance on the return of the mortal remains of Guru to his family. She told the House that instead of making any substantial commitment on the return of the mortal remains or offering explanation on the “shameful conduct” of his Government on the hanging of Guru, the Chief Minister had arrogantly justified the official repression in the shape of curfew and media gag in the Kashmir Valley.
“No body had expected that the Government of India would execute Guru in view of its apprehended adverse impact on the situation in the State where the Government had invested a lot ever since the time of former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, who had declared to solve the Kashmir problem under the ambit of humanity (Insaniyat ke dairey mein),” she said, adding that hanging of Guru came as a shocker to the people. She said that it was a setback to the peace and reconciliation process.
“The State Government especially the Chief Minister can’t wash their hands off this decision as they were part of the ruling coalition in Delhi as well as in the State. When Afzal Guru was taken from Srinagar to New Delhi in 2001, National Conference was ruling the State and was part of the NDA Government at Centre”, she recalled.
Mehbooba questioned the intentions of Omar for demanding mortal remains of Maqbool Bhat. She pointed out that Chief Minister has taken up the issue of the body of Bhat only to scuttle return of the mortal remain of Guru. She said Maqbool too was hanged during an NC Government’s tenure about 30 years back. She asked the House to resolve that after Maqbool Bhat and Afzal Guru, this process of execution should be stopped. “There should be no one after Bhat and Guru”, she demanded.
“It needs a Tara Masih (hangman)- a role that is played only by one family in the State”, Mehbooba said when interrupted by Law Minister Saifullah Mir.
Participating in debate, CPM leader MY Tarigami too said that executing Guru by picking him up from Serial No. 28 in the list of executions has given a message that Kashmir was expendable.
He said that the circumstances under which the execution took place shall have serious implications on the social and political sphere of the State as it has exposed how major decisions of national importance are made on “petty political considerations” without caring of its fallout. “The episode has also put a question mark on the judicial and constitutional system of the country”, he alleged.
He asked: “by this action of the State whose collective conscience got satisfied? Of those who are forced to commit suicide in different parts of the country or of those who are forced to starve having no sufficient food to eat or of those who have been rendered hopeless. This is only the tiny section of elite, a section of media and those jingoist elements who have no concern for our plural and democratic ethos who might have got satisfied”.
Mr Tarigami cautioned that people of Kashmir can conclude that Guru has been hanged only because of certain narrow political considerations and that this is the selective execution.
“It is unfortunate that UPA Government has responded to the vociferous demand raised by the BJP and Sangh Parivar. It is sad that Sangh Parivar is setting an agenda which is being responded to by those who claim to be followers of Mahatama Gandhi and Pandit Nehru”, the veteran Leftist leader said.
NC leader and former Minister of State for Home Nasir Aslam Wani maintained that civil society in the country has also raised questions over selective hanging of Guru.
“It’s a tragedy that family of Guru was not informed about the execution. They were given the message by speed post, which they too got two days after the hanging. The Chief Minister has also said that it was a selective hanging as Guru was picked up from Serial No. 28”, Mr Wani said.
He added that even gangsters of Veerappan gang were given legal course. He said the Chief Minister has written to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to return mortal remains of not only Afzal Guru but even Maqbool Bhat.
“We never said leave Kasaab. We held him as a terrorist but the Government had even offered even Kasaab’s body to his country and family”, he said and hoped that the Government of India would return remains of Guru to his family.
Saying that he was not comparing Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev with Afzal Guru, Mr Wani quoted a news of Tribune on March 25, 1931, two days after the hanging of trio that their families were not allowed to meet them before hanging and their bodies were disposed of secretly.
Earlier, Speaker Mubarak Gul today suspended business of the House including the Question Hour and allowed debate on resolutions moved by NC, PDP and CPM-PDF for debate on Afzal Guru’s execution. Later, he also allowed debate on adjournment motions moved by NPP leader Harshdev Singh and BJP leader Jugal Kishore on the killing of Akhnoor civilian Chamel Singh in Pakistani jail and another motion moved by BJP breakaway group leader Prof Chaman Lal Gupta on the killing of two police constables in Kupwara district.
Gul said he was allowing the discussion on adjournment motion of Guru as this was a humanitarian issue and has widely been debated in newspapers, electronic media and by civil society.
Harshdev Singh questioned discussion on Guru saying it was not within the ambit of the Assembly. Gul reminded Harshdev to read what Prof Bhim Singh had said on execution.
Harshdev quoted Rule 58 to say that the Assembly has no jurisdiction to discuss the matter as the execution was ordered by the apex court. He charged National Conference and Congress with enacting drama here as both of them were partners at Centre and State.
“It’s a political circus. Why the NC didn’t take up the matter with New Delhi”? he asked.
All MLAs of BJP, BJP breakaway group, NPP and JSM legislators Ashwani Sharma were on their feet. They shouted slogans like `Rashtra Virodhi Sarkaar Hai Hai’ forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House at 10.33 am. The House resumed at 10.46 am after which all MLAs of BJP’s both factions, NPP and JSM staged a walkout in the House and didn’t participate in the debate.
Again, there was uproar by NPP and BJP rebels on the killing of two constable at 12.38 pm after which the Speaker adjourned the House, which met again at 13.26 pm and took up the motions on Chamel Singh and killing of the constables in Kupwara.
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