Afzal Guru hanging: who said what

Political parties on Saturday said justice has been done with the execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru even as BJP questioned the delay in carrying out the death sentence.

However, both Congress and the BJP said the hanging of Guru, a Jaish-e-Mohammed militant, would send a message to terror outfits that India would not tolerate terrorism.

Questioning the delay in the execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, BJP on Saturday said it should have happened much earlier after the confirmation of the capital punishment by the Supreme Court in 2005.

Here are some quotes on the hanging of Afzal Guru in the 2001 Parliament attack case:

Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde
"The President rejected the mercy petition of Afzal Guru on February 3 and after that I gave my approval on February 4 and the date and timing was confirmed by a judicial official. He was hanged at 8 o'clock this morning.

Home minister Sushilkumear Shinde addressing the media to confirm the hanging of Afzal Guru, Jaish-e-Mohammad militant convicted in the attack on Parliament in 2001. HT/Mohd Zakir

Union home secretary RK Singh
"The President rejected Afzal Guru's mercy petition on February 3 and after that we followed the jail manual and his hanging took place today."

Gujarat CM Narendra Modi on Twitter
"Der aaye durast aaye (Better late than never)."

Gujarat state chief minister Narendra Modi addresses at Shri Ram College of Commerce in North University in New Delhi. HT/Sunil Saxena

Congress spokesman Rashid Alvi
"The law has taken its course. The Parliament attack convict has been hanged.

I&B Minister Manish Tiwari
"Afzal Guru's hanging was the result of the judicial system and not for electoral or political considerations. Whenever we take decisions on national security, we do not keep electoral or political considerations in mind."

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar
"In the end, justice has prevailed and Afzal Guru has been hanged."

BJP leader Najma Heptulla
"There was 30 kg of RDX (explosives) in the their car...It would have been enough to destroy the entire building. I was not worried about myself...I saw my personal security officer Yadav shot dead at gate number 11 on CCTV."

Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan
"I have seen the attack on Parliament very closely. Justice has been done to the security personnel who laid down their lives, and to their family members."

Senior NCP leaderPraful Patel
"The President rejected his mercy plea, which paved the way for his execution today. With this, unnecessary speculations over his fate were finally laid to rest."

Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev
"Though the government has taken the decision very late, but I welcome his hanging and demand that the government must take a final call regarding all the mercy petitions of the terrorists and rapists. Even I think that except any extra-ordinary case, the government should scrap the provision of mercy petitions."

RSS leader Ram Madhav
"The government has today done a very good work by hanging Afzal Guru. Afzal Guru had challenged India's supreme (legislative) body and conspired to destroy it. There has been a delay (in his hanging), but ultimately the government has taken a right decision. The entire country and its patriotic people are delighted over this decision."

Amitabh Bachchan
"We all should follow the law. Whatever India has done, has been done within the ambit of the law," Bachchan told reporters here. "Whoever is guilty, even if it is me...we all should abide by the law of the country. The country has fully investigated this (case). We salute the law of the land."

General secretary of CPI(ML) Liberation, Dipankar Bhattacharya
"Faced with growing popular opposition and resistance onevery front, the Congress party and the UPA government are desperately trying to appease the BJP and the communal-fascist brigade."

Kalpa Devi, wife of Matabar Singh Negi
"Although it was late, but justice has been done."

Zainul Abedin Ali Khan, Ajmer Dargah head
"This is a very good decision but should have been taken earlier. It was necessary to send a message across the world that India is tough against terrorism."

Arun Jaitley
"In the case of Afzal Guru, all judicial authorities have affirmed his guilt and upheld the death sentence. His clemency petition has been rejected by the President. For reasons which the government has been unable to explain the execution was delayed. But finally the law has taken its own course."

BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy
"We welcome the move. Though delayed, it was a right move. The opposition and the entire country was harping on the hanging of Afzal Guru. The entire country was waiting for this."

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh
"Has the BJP not compromised with terrorists? After the hijack of Indian Airlines plane to Kandahar, who released the dreaded terrorists? The law has taken its course."

Pakistani journalist and TV anchor Hamid Mir
"...I think he was innocent but hanged in India."

Minister of state for home affairs RPN Singh
"Afzal Guru was hanged this (Saturday) morning. This is not a time for politics but calm, restraint and sobriety."

Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah
"Home minister (Sushilkumar Shinde) called me around 8 p.m. Friday and told me about the government's decision to hang Afzal Guru. I understand there is a certain degree of angst and there are some who would like to exploit this situation. I urge restraint. I urge the people of Jammu and Kashmir not to resort to any violent protest. I appeal to media to please verify and not fall for rumours."

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah addresses a press conference after the execution of Afzal Guru, at his home in Srinagar. AP/Mukhtar Khan

PDP spokesman Nayeem Akhtar
"PDP is disappointed at the hanging of Afzal Guru. We had urged that political sensitivities should be taken into considering while taking a decision on his clemency plea."