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| NC's point man Devinder Rana silent on Qasab's hanging, avoids talking about Guru | | Senior leaders cautious | | early times report
JAMMU, Nov 21: Even as the call for speedy hanging of 2001 Parliament attack death row convict Afzal Guru grew louder from various political quarters after the execution of Ajmal Kasab today, the leadership of ruling National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir remained tight lipped over the demand to execute Guru.
Political Advisor of Chief Minister Devinder Singh Rana, who is also regarded as his close confidante surprisingly, evaded the response. His being dumbstruck could not be understood. As has been his response to every query, Rana said "I am not authorized person to comment on this." Despite claiming to represent Jammu region, Rana preferred not to utter even a word about the hanging of Afzal Guru and
Habitual of shadow boxing, observers maintain that Rana does run the show but prefers to remain low profile even over issues of national significance. His silence was baffling in the wake of senior leaders of Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) Nitin Gadkari and Narendra Modi leading the charge alongwith Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh, all o wanting the government to "expedite" the decision on the issue of Afzal Guru.
Guru was sentenced to death in 2004. All reacted but National Conference (NC), the oldest political party of Guru's home state preferred not to react nor give any response when asked to comment. The entire leadership chose to remain in silent mode. When Early Times contacted some of the senior NC leaders, they were either reluctant to speak or had very little to say on the hanging of death row convict Afzal Guru . They chose not to speak a word on Qasab's hanging and , not a none giving any guarded reaction either.
The close confidante of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his Political Advisor Devinder Rana evaded the query on 2001 Parliament attack convict by commenting that he is not authorized by the party. "I have nothing to speak on Afzal Guru's execution. I am not authorized to say anything on this issue," quipped Devinder Singh Rana.
While another National Conference leader Rattan Lal Gupta, Provincial President Jammu, tried to shrug the issue by saying that the matter is pending before the President of India and his decision on the issue of granting clemency to Guru is still awaited. "The mercy petition of Guru is still pending with President of India and it is inappropriate to make any opinion or comment till then. It is the President who has to take the final decision. Let the law takes it's own course." Gupta maintained.
It is worthwhile to mention here that Independent MLA, Engineer Rashid, who represents Langate constituency in Kupwara district, had moved a resolution in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly in 2011 seeking clemency for Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru. Even NC's Legislature Party had discussed the Afzal Guru issue before the commencement of Assembly session in September 2011.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah while talking to reporters in Srinagar on September 3, 2011 had said, "We will have a Legislature Party meeting which will be headed by President Farooq Abdullah and decide on the issue. The meeting will deliberate on the resolution of the independent MLA Engineer Rashid and then the Speaker will give the decision," he said.
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