New Delhi: Upset over the delay in the hanging of Afzal Guru, some families of martyrs in the 2001 Parliament attack, on Thursday boycotted the function at Parliament, demanding the convict’s immediate execution.
They skipped the homage ceremony held at Parliament on the eleventh anniversary of the attack.
“Kasab’s hanging has given us some solace. Though he committed the crime much later but was hanged earlier, why is Afzal’s case still pending,” said Ganga Devi, wife of deceased Delhi Police Sub-Inspector Nanak Chand at a function organised by All India Anti-Terrorist Front (AIATF).
They expressed hope that Guru will be hanged soon after Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s promise of looking into the case.
“Life has been tough since my father died. Though my mother has helped me a lot to overcome the loss,” said Gaurav Yadav, son of another victim Jagdish Prasad Yadav.
The victims’ families have already returned gallantry medals to the President in protest against the delay in hanging of Guru.
AIATF chairman M S Bitta said the families will continue to boycott the homage-paying ceremony at Parliament till Guru is hanged.
He said Shinde’s promise of looking into Afzal’s case has given some hope. “We will wait for three months and chalkout our next course of action,” Bitta said.
On December 13, 2001, five heavily-armed gunmen stormed into Parliament complex and opened indiscriminate fire, killing nine persons.
The martyrs included five Delhi Police personnel, a woman Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) official, two Parliament watch and ward staff and a gardener.
A journalist, who was injured, died later. All five terrorists were shot dead.
PTI
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First Published: Thursday, December 13, 2012, 21:19
