BJP condemns Farooq's views on Afzal

New Delhi, Oct 16 (UNI) The BJP today condemned former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah for stating that the hanging of Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal would trigger off terrorist violence in the country and even endanger the lives of the judges, andtermed it as 'most irresponsible'.

Condemning the statement, BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said that he did not expect such a statement from a person who himself was a victim of terrorist violence.''The former CM should understand that the a Judiciary awards harsh punishment for the crime and there was no sense of revenge.'' he added When asked to respond to the statement of Director General of the NSG that his team was ready for commando type of operation at Kandahar to liberate the passengers hijacked onboard the Indian Airlines but the political leadership masters did not approve of the plan, Mr Prasad said the statement was coming after seven years and the official should not forget that the whatever the decision was taken in the interest of saving 200 innocent lives.

Asked about Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav's decision to approach the Supreme Court against the Gujarat High Court's decison on Banerjee Commission probing the Sabarmati Express fire, Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad said every person has a right to approach the Apex Court.

"I am confident that he would meet the same fate in this attempt also", he said. He however said that, as a lawyer, he was ''ashamed'' about the conduct of former Supreme Court judge U C Banerjee as the head of the Railways probe committee because he had arrived at a conclusion bypassing the evidences on record. ''There were several Karsevaks in the compartment who had survived the attack and he should not have glossed over their statements,'' the spokesman added.

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