Bhim Singh's party protests Saddam death order

Srinagar, Nov 8: Activists of the National Panthers Party today burnt US President George W Bush and Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair in effigy to protest against the death sentence awarded to deposed Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein.

A US-sponsored court in Baghdad on November five sentenced 69-year-old toppled Iraqi President to death by hanging after being found guilty of crimes against humanity for his role in the killing of 148 Shi'ite villagers following an assassination attempt on his life in 1982.

Protestors blocked the road traffic for about one hour in the busy Lal Chowk, the commercial hub and nerve centre of the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir.

National Panthers Party activists had gathered near the Partap Park here to protest against the verdict.

''Long live Saddam...Down with Bush...Down with Tony Blair,'' shouted the protestors as they burnt the two leaders in efigy.

National Panthers Party Chairman Prof Bhim Singh is a known sympathiser of the ousted Iraqi President and his organisation reportedly had close ties with Saddam's Ba'ath Party.

He had also planned to fight Saddam's case and constituted an 11-member legal team for the purpose, but later alleged that he was denied visa by the present Iraqi regime.

Immediately after the verdict, Prof Singh dashed a written memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, terming as ''farce'' the death sentence awarded to Saddam.

He urged the Prime Minister to ''invoke the United Nations right in securing his immediate release from the US captivity'' and also ''stand to the present situation like a rock to defend a trusted friend of India''.

UNI