BJP to campaign against clemency for Afzal

Accusing the Centre of failing to safeguard internal security, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday threatened to launch a nationwide awareness campaign against the mercy plea for Mohammad Afzal Guru, facing execution for his role in the 2001 attack on Parliament.

Senior BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leaders, who met at party leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee's residence on Wednesday, have decided to make the campaign seeking clemency for Guru a big issue and ask the Centre to follow a policy of zero tolerance against terrorism, L K Advani, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, told reporters in Bhopal.

"How can logic be given that the execution of the capital punishment will produce martyrs," he asked, adding: "Everyone was of the view that the Supreme Court verdict against those involved in the assassinations of former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi should be executed. Why is there a demand to commute Afzal's sentence?"

"It is surprising that no Congress spokesman has spoken about it yet," Advani said.

The BJP will hold meetings across the country and move the public for execution of the apex court's ruling in one of the rarest of rare cases. The party will also seek an appointment with President A P J Abdul Kalam to ask him to ensure execution of the Supreme Court verdict.

Accusing the Centre of completely failing to safeguard internal security by following wrong policies, Advani said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement about not pursuing talks with Pakistan after the 7/11 attacks had raised hopes but events that followed had created gloom.