Opposition stages walk out on Afzal issue

New Delhi, Dec 12: The BJP-led Opposition today staged a walk out in the Lok Sabha following a ruckus on the delay in taking a decision on the clemency petitions of Mohammed Afzal Guru, sentenced to death in the Parliament attack case.

Leader of Opposition L K Advani led his colleagues out of the Lower House after objecting to the appeal of Home Minister Shivraj Patil not to "instigate" the family members of security personnel who laid down their lives to protect Parliament and its members.

Mr Advani, who raised the issue during zero hour, asked the government to take a decision on Afzal hanging by tomorrow, the fifth anniversary of Parliament attack in which 15 security personnel were killed.

Responding to Mr Advani's demand, Mr Patil said such issues should not be raised to divide the society and whip up passion among different communities. "Whatever is appropriate will be done by the government," he added.

He indicated that the government was unlikely to take a quick decision on the separate clemency petitions filed before President A P J Abdul Kalam by Afzal and his family.

Mr Patil said no deadline had been set in such cases earlier.

"This has never happened earlier...Records show that the government took five years to tackle such matters even in the past,'' he said, citing the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

Upon this there was an opposition uproar, prompting Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi to remark that Mr Advani should have apologised to the House first, before raising the issue, for failing to protect Parliament. There was further protests from the opposition.

Earlier, Mr Advani said the family members of the one the nine security personnel killed in the attack had returned the government honour, protesting against the delay in hanging Afzal.

''Things should not be allowed to drag on...The government owes the martyrs a decision (on the clemency petitions) by tomorrow,'' he said.

UNI

Related Stories