Farooq wants Afzal Guru to ‘hang’

Shunning soft-paddling over Afzal Guru issue, the ruling National Conference (NC) on Saturday said those who work against the country must pay the price for it.

“Anyone who has worked against India must pay price for it”, said Farooq Abdullah, NC president and union minister for new and renewable energy. His stand is in contrast with his son and J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah who has taken a relatively soft line vis-a-vis Afzal Guru issue. Last year Omar created a storm when he tweeted: “If J&K assembly had passed a resolution similar to the Tamil Nadu one for Afzal Guru would the reaction have been as muted? I think not”.

Farooq noted that since the courts have given the verdict, they should wait for the president to give her consent (on mercy petition of Afzal Guru). “The courts have decided and petition is lying with the president of India. It is now for president to give her consent,” said Farooq.

The NC president’s statement, however, created a furore in Kashmir with separatists gunning for Farooq’s head. “We strongly condemn the statement of Farooq Abdullah. He is the same man who was instrumental in sending Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front founder Maqbool Bhat to gallows (In Tihar jail in 1984). We can’t expect better from Farooq”, said Ayaz Akbar, spokesman of the hard-line faction of Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani.