JOIN US'Hang Afzal' cry gets shriller
The victims’ families, who stayed off a remembrance ceremony held in Parliament, demanded that the government “take back the petrol pumps you gave to us, but immediately execute Afzal Guru” sentenced to death for the attack.
Chaudhary Sardar Singh, father of the late head constable Om Prakash Dabas, told Deccan Herald, “Take away everything... petrol pump and money, but hang him (Afzal Guru).”
Standing at the India Gate to pay tributes, Dabas’ mother Chandro Devi lamented, “We have already returned the medal of our son. Every time, on this day, the government call us. We are fed of waiting for (justice) the last ten years. Before I am dead, I want Afzal Guru hanged.”
Awdesh Kumar, whose wife Kamlesh Kumari, a CRPF trooper, was killed in the attack, said: “He (Guru) was involved in the attack on Parliament. The Supreme Court has awarded him death sentence. Why is the government not acting against him. We don’t want to keep your (government) compensation when there is no honour for the martyrs in this country?”
All-India Anti-Terrorist Front chairman M S Bitta, rallying behind the victims’ family members, said Afzal must be hanged as soon as possible.
Somvati Devi, the widow of Delhi Police head constable Ghanshayam Patel, who was awarded the Kirti Chakra, the second highest civilian award for bravery, said, “I have returned the medal to the government. Now, I am ready to return all the compensation amount to them if they don’t hang Afzal.”
On December 13, 2001, around 11 am, five Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists stormed the Parliament House and opened indiscriminate fire, killing nine people.
The victims included five Delhi Police personnel, a woman Central Reserve Police Force trooper, two parliament watch-and-ward staff, and a gardener. A journalist who took a terrorist’s AK-47 bullets died later.
All the five terrorists were eventually gunned down.
A year after that attack, four accused, including Afzal Guru, were found guilty. Guru, who is said to be a Jaish-e-Mohammed militant, was the only accused to be awarded the death penalty. His mercy petition is pending with the president.
His cousin Shaukat Hussain Guru has been freed after completing his 10-year term, and Shaukat’s wife Afsan has been acquitted.