Respect Supreme Court's verdict on Mohd Afzal

DELHI : Amidst the raging debate stirred by the demand for granting clemency to Mohd Afzal Guru, who has been sentenced to death in the December 13, ’01 Parliament attack case, Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar has said the Supreme Court judgement laying down the guidelines for considering mercy petitions should be respected.

The NCP supremo’s assertion, made here on Thursday night in response to a specific query on the fate of the mercy petition submitted to President A P J Abdul Kalam by Afzal Guru’s relatives, is the strongest endorsement yet by a senior government functionary of the capital punishment awarded to the Jaish-e-Mohammed operative.

Mr Pawar is also the first senior member of the Union Cabinet to speak out against the demands for shielding Afzal Guru from the gallows, and his remarks are likely to add pressure on the union home ministry to reject the mercy petition.

Ever since a Delhi court late last month set a date for Afzal Guru’s execution, the death sentence has become mired in controversy, with parties going public with their views on the subject.

While the Left, Jammu and Kashmir-based parties and civil right activists came out in favour of taking a lenient view on the mercy petition, the BJP, expectedly, exhorted the President to reject the demand and remove the obstacles in Afzal Guru’s hanging without any delay.