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| Father-son duo on same page? | | Farooq musters courage, demands action against the perpetrators of Parliament attack | | RUSTAM
JAMMU, Nov 24: On the day Pakistani terrorist and Lashkar-e-Toiba operative Ajmal Kasab convicted in the 26/11/2008 Mumbai barbarous terror attack was hanged at the Yerawada Prison in Pune, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah commended the authorities in New Delhi. In fact, he tweeted that day to make public his stand on the hanging of Kasab. He appreciated the manner in which Operation X was conducted. He also hailed the authorities for keeping under wraps the hanging of Kasab. Besides, he not only ridiculed the Indian media, but also criticized the American media for terming Kasab as a "gunman", instead of terrorist. Indeed, his tweet was noteworthy and commendable. He took a line which was certainly not consistent with the line the Kashmiri leaders normally take. It was perhaps for the first time that he denounced the cult of terror in clear terms and suggested that those who commit crimes deserve an exemplary punishment.
What Omar Abdullah said could also be taken to mean that he is not averse to the idea of sending Kashmiri terrorist Afzal Guru convicted in the December 13, 2001 Parliament attack case to the gallows. The crime committed by Guru was as heinous as the one committed by Kasab and his nine other associates who were liquidated by our brave security personnel. It is important to note that Omar Abdullah tweeted at a time when it had become clear to one and all that President Pranab Mukharjee had on the same day returned seven mercy petitions to the Union Home Ministry, including that of Afzal Guru, for its consideration and final view. In other words, he was fully aware of the developments which unfolded on that eventful day, and, hence, the conclusion that Omar Abdullah wants New Delhi to bring Afzal Guru to justice.
Yesterday, another development took place. The case in point is the statement made by Omar Abdullah's father, NC president and Union Minister for Renewable energy. Farooq Abdullah. Talking to reporters outside the Parliament, Farooq Abdullah said that "justice has to be done" in the case of the Parliament terror attack case. "As far as I am concerned, the court has already decided. The Supreme Court has given its decision. The matter is now pending with the Home Ministry. The President has returned that (mercy petition) to the Home Ministry. Let's wait...Justice has to be done," Farooq Abdullah, in fact, told reporters in response to a question concerning Afzal Guru. His statement, like the tweet, of Omar Abdullah was as unambiguous as it was noteworthy and praiseworthy.
It's time for New Delhi appreciate the tweet of Omar Abdullah and statement of Farooq Abdullah and expedite the matter so that the perpetrator of the Parliament terror attack is brought to justice and a right signal sent across the globe that it has zero tolerance for terror, subversives and separatists. It has already wasted six long years. The nation cannot wait for some more time. One can only hope that Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, who held out a categorical commitment on November 21 that he would take no time in taking decision on the mercy petition of Guru, honour his word.
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