Decision to hang Afzal was not political, due process of law was followed: Shinde

Dismissing Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah's suggestion that the execution of Afzal Guru was "selective", the Centre today said the cases of killers of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Punjab chief minister Beant Singh were different. Afzal's family gets govt's letter | Has the situation in Kashmir handled well after the hanging?

Dismissing Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah's suggestion that the execution of Afzal Guru was "selective", the Centre on Monday said the cases of killers of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Punjab chief minister Beant Singh were different.

Home minister Sushilkumar Shinde said Afzal's execution was not a political decision but done according to rules.

"In the cases of Rajiv Gandhi and the chief minister, the cases are still pending in Supreme Court. After rejection (of the mercy petitions) cases were filed in the Madras high court and Supreme Court.

"These cases are still under consideration before the judiciary. Hence it (Afzal) is different from these cases," he told a press conference.

He was responding to questions why the Government showed tearing hurry in executing Afzal Guru while the killers of Gandhi and Singh were given options.

Omar also had said on Sunday that it will have to be proved to Kashmiris and to the world that the execution of Afzal Guru is not a "selective" one. Omar had asked if attack on Parliament was an attack on symbol of democracy, is an attack on chief minister and former PM not an attack on democracy.

To another question, Shinde said the decision to execute Afzal was not political but done according to rules.

Usually the President signs on the mercy petition and the home ministry sends it for execution. "Even in the other cases, the files were sent to the states concerned. There they (convicts) went for appeal," he said.

Giving the sequence of events leading to the controversial execution on Saturday, the home minister said he had informed Omar on Friday night. "That was the first time I told him that we are doing it tomorrow (Saturday) morning."

Justifying the hush-hush manner in which the execution was carried out, he said the issue was sensitive and secrecy had to be maintained.

Shinde, who faced a volley of questions about why the family was kept in the dark, said according to the jail manual the prison authorities must have informed them.

A letter addressed to Tabasum (Afzal's wife) from Superintendent Jail, Tihar Jail informing about Guru's execution on February 9, 2013 was delivered on Feb 11, 201)