Demanding the execution of death sentence awarded to Mohammad Afzal Guru -- 2001 Parliament attack mastermind -- on October 20 only, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Tuesday kicked off a nationwide Afzal Ko Joote Maro, Faansi Do (Hit Afzal with shoes, hang him) agitation over the burning issue.
"The VHP appeals to every Hindu to make an effigy of Afzal and hit it with a shoe it five times daily before hanging it on October 20, to support our demand for executing the death sentence on the day fixed by the judiciary," the saffron outfit's general secretary Pravin Togadia told media persons in Varanasi.
"Pardoning Afzal will be betraying those who lost lives to the jehadi terror groups, which have claimed countless lives in Jammu and Kashmir and in attacks on various temples, including the Sankatmochan temple in Varanasi," Todagia maintained.
"If the VHP demand of hanging Afzal on October 20 is not met, a massive movement will be led by me to expose the politicians and so called champions of human rights, who are sympathising with Afzal.
"Where were these human rights activists when our soldiers were killed at the hands of terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, besides at the time of loss of countless lives in Delhi blasts, Mumbai train blasts and the Sankatmochan temple blasts," he added.
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