Court decisions shouldn't be meddled with: Advani on clemency

In the wake of demands for clemency to the three Rajiv Gandhi assassins and Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, BJP leader L K Advani on Friday said court decisions should not be meddled with on political grounds.

In the wake of demands for clemency to the three Rajiv Gandhi assassins and Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, BJP leader L K Advani on Friday said court decisions should not be meddled with on political grounds.

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"Whether it is Rajiv Gandhi killers or the attackers of Indian Parliament, whatever decision has been taken by the court should not be meddled with on political grounds", he said.

He said mercy petition of only those cases should be considered where the crime "is not heinous and it was committed after some provocation".

"In individual cases one can think of clemency, but certainly not on political grounds," Advani, who is on the second leg of his yatra against corruption, told reporters.

Referring to the statement of Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on removal of Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA), Advani said, "We feel the approach to terrorism should be consistent. It should not be hesitant and wavering from time to time."

Asked about Congress leader Digvijay Singh's recent remarks that the RSS and the BJP were trying to deflect the attention of the country from rightwing terror through different plans, Advani said, "I don't comment on these observations made by our adversaries. I don't need to."

"I am surprised that a senior leader like him should again and again make comments which his own party should disassociate from," the BJP leader said.