Delhi government is likely to convey after the Lok Sabha polls its decision to the Centre on a mercy petition seeking commutation of death sentence of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru following a missive from the Union Home Ministry.
Sources in the Delhi government's Home Department
said that the Union Home Ministry had recently written to the state government asking it to take a final decision on the petition by Guru's wife Tabasum that has been pending for the last three years and expedite its comments.
The BJP has been targeting the Congress on the delay in taking a decision on the petition which is pending with the President because the Home Ministry has not yet given its comment on the matter.
The MHA says it is awaiting the comments of Delhi government because as per the rules, the comments of the government of the state where the crime has been committed has to be taken before deciding on a mercy petition.
"The MHA keeps sending us the demi-official (DO) note in the Afzal Guru matter every two to three months. We received the latest in April asking us to take a final decision and expedite the comments," the sources said. Asked when a final decision would be taken on the mercy petition, they said, "Most likely soon after the elections."
Guru was sentenced to death by a Delhi Court for his role in the December 13, 2001 attack on Parliament in which nine security personnel were killed and 16 others were seriously injured.