The state's main opposition party - the People's Democratic Party (PDP) -- wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday for the return of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru's body.
In response, chief minister Omar Abdullah tweeted, "I had hoped to avoid playing politics with the body of Afzal Guru but that seems to be impossible to avoid following Mufti Sayeed's (PDP chief) letter now".
Abdullah further tweeted that on February 19, he had written to the PM for the return of the bodies of Guru and separatist ideologue Maqbool Bhat, who was executed in 1984 and buried in Tihar jail.
"I followed this up with a visit to the PM to make my request in person. My government will continue to raise the issue with Delhi,'' he added.
Sayeed's letter questioned the manner in which Guru's execution was carried out and said it has rendered all confidence building measures futile.
Maintaining that PDP had pleaded for commutation of Guru's sentence, Sayeed wrote the return of the body "would also reduce the pain of his (Guru's) family and perhaps open the way for some rebuilding of bridges".
{{/usCountry}}Maintaining that PDP had pleaded for commutation of Guru's sentence, Sayeed wrote the return of the body "would also reduce the pain of his (Guru's) family and perhaps open the way for some rebuilding of bridges".
{{/usCountry}}This is second such letter from a mainstream politician from J&K. Last week, National Conference MP Ghulam Nabi Ratanpuri had written to the PM.
The state's home department has already forwarded a letter carrying the same demand from Guru's wife Tabassum to the Centre.