No mercy for Afzal: Delhi Govt

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit sent Parliament attack prime accused Afzal Guru’s clemency plea back to Lieutenant-Governor Tejendra Khanna on Wednesday, this time recommending rejection of the mercy plea in black and white, reports HT.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit sent Parliament attack prime accused Afzal Guru’s clemency plea back to Lieutenant-Governor Tejendra Khanna on Wednesday, this time recommending rejection of the mercy plea in black and white.

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The chief minister made it clear the state government did not recommend the two mercy petitions filed by Afzal Guru and his wife, Tabasum.

Khanna had found the initial recommendation made by the chief minister on Monday ambiguous and sent back the file.

“He wanted a clear cut response, we have sent him one,” a senior Delhi government source told HT, referring to the mercy plea that has moved back and forth in the last three days.

Dikshit did not speak on her recommendation.

“It is (death sentence to Afzal Guru) a sensitive issue. Files go up and down. We are a responsive government and I don^t want to create any confusion in this regard,” she said.

“Things will be clearer in a couple of days and I will clarify all aspects of this issue on Saturday or Monday," she added.

The Congress, too, walked the tightrope. Spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said there was no need to comment on this case.

Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh — who had raised questions on the Jamia encounter and has been highlighting right-wing terrorism — was the only one to seek Afzal Guru's execution “at the earliest”. “The Supreme Court has given him the death sentence. It should be done at the earliest,” he said.

Delhi Government sources said the chief minister’s reference to the law and order implications of executing Afzal

Guru stemmed from the fact that it did not have an intelligence unit at its disposal.

Delhi Police is answerable to the home ministry through the Lieutenant Governor. Between the CM’s office and the Lt Governor, the Delhi government is expected to complete processing the file and send it to the Home Ministry within a week.