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| Ahead of 4th phase, Cong says had 'no role' in hanging Guru | | Assembly Elections | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Dec 10: After failing to make any major impact in Kashmir region during the ongoing assembly elections, Congress made a last ditch attempt today by raking up the issue of the hanging of Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru.
The former union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad claimed that Congress had "no role" in hanging Afzal Guru, who was executed in Tihar Jail on February 9, 2013. It's strange that Azad who was the Health Minister in centre when Afzal was hanged has taken a U-turn and has tried to disassociate his party from the issue.
Azad, experts believe, is trying to play the Afzal Guru card ahead of the fourth phase of elections to create some space for his party candidates in the Valley where elections would end on December 14 with eight constituencies in Srinagar and a few assembly segments in south Kashmir going to polls on that day.
Congress insiders told Early Times the party workers have informed Azad and other top leaders about their candidates not fearing well in the first three phases of the polls. "If the party has to woo the voters in the next phase then it has to raise some Kashmir specific issue and referring to Afzal's hanging at this point of time is not a bad idea," the insider added. An analyst ridiculed Azad's assertion about Congress had no role in Afzal's hanging. "By executing Afzal Guru at that point of time Congress wanted to stop Narendra Modi from marching ahead. Afzal was hanged secretly to pave way for Rahul Gandhi to become the next Prime Minister of India. Congress wanted to snatch an issue from Modi led BJP but the move didn't work," the analyst added. He said that soon after Afzal Guru was hanged Congress leaders trumpeted that they have done justice with the families of the people who were killed during the attack on Parliament. "Taking credit for hanging Afzal at that point of time suited the interest of the Congress party then," the analyst added.
Sources said that BJP making inroads in Jammu region is making Congress believe that it may lose some seats in Jammu. "Congress leaders are trying their best to ensure that they should gain some seats in Kashmir and for that it can go to any extent," said a source. "Congress leaders are of the firm belief that if they appease separatists ahead of fourth phase of elections it can prove beneficial for the party in south Kashmir and its candidates can fetch some Jamaat votes."
A top Congress leader while talking to Early Times said that senior party leaders fear that they may have to sit in the opposition after sharing power with PDP and NC after 12-years. "For entering into an alliance with any regional party it's necessary for us to get more than 10 seats. We are eyeing few seats in city and south Kashmir to make up for the loss which we may suffer in Jammu region," he said. "If we are unable to increase our tally in Kashmir then there is every possibility of Congress remaining out of power for the next six years." |
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