J&K separatists warn against Afzal execution

If the Congress and the BJP can fight over Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, can separatists in Kashmir be far behind?

After Rahul Gandhi’s assertion that Guru would be executed when the time comes, separatists in Kashmir have warned the state government of serious repercussions in case he is hanged. Leading the charge is Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who has slammed the BJP and the Congress for politicising the issue to garner votes. “Guru has not been given the chance to defend himself. Some leaders are politicising the issue for votes,” he said.

 Hitting out at political parties, Geelani said most parties were playing the communal card and making Guru a scapegoat. “There will be another uprising in Kashmir because nobody will tolerate this injustice. We will counter any move to execute Guru,” he said.

The moderate Hurriyat, too, joined the chorus, asking the government not to execute Guru. “It is a legal issue and political parties are trying to make the most out of it. The issue is pending before the president. Political leaders are holding the judiciary and Rashtrapati Bhavan hostage for their vested interests,” Syed Saleem Geelani, chief spokesman of the Mirwaiz Umar Farooq-led Hurriyat Conference, said. He said Guru would become another Maqbool Bhat, the JKLF leader who was executed in Tihar jail in 1984, in case he is executed.

However, mainstream parties in Kashmir are playing it safe by avoiding the contentious issue. “We don’t want to comment on the issue as it can vitiate the atmosphere,” a National Conference leader said.