Afzal's hanging should not be delayed: Advani

New Delhi, Oct 12: Leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha and BJP strongman L K Advani today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that there should be no delay in hanging Mohammad Afzal, convicted by the Supreme Court for attack on Parliament, even for a day in an effort to send right message to the people of the country and to the terrorists that India was no soft state.

Asked for his comments on the issue, Mr Advani said he had seen the news reports about the possibility of postponing the hanging of the convict in view of the mercy petition sent to the Home Ministry.

'' A delay even by a day would send 'wrong message' to the country at a time when the society and armed forces were getting divided,'' he said.

Mr Advani, who has held charge of the Home Ministry, said he was not aware about the truth or otherwise about the reports suggesting that Afzal hanging may not take place on October 20. His party has announced programme to carry out the hanging of Afzal's effigy if the Home Ministy failed to dispose off the mercy petition by that time.

UNI

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