RS adjourned till 1400hrs on Afzal issue

New Delhi, Dec 13: The Rajya Sabha was today adjourned till 1400 hrs following uproarious scenes with the opposition demanding that the death penalty to Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal be carried out while Home Minister Shivraj Patil insisted that his clemency petition was pending and the law would take its own course.

Opposition members disrupted the proceedings by shouting slogans and trooped into the well of the house twice, demanding that the death penalty to Afzal be carried out. They refused to hear the Home Minister's contention that since the clemency petition of Afzal was pending with President and the process takes a long time, no immediate decision on the issue could be taken.

Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan tried to pacify the NDA members asking them to hear what the Home Minister had to say on the issue.

However, when his repeated pleas had no effect, he adjourned the house till 1400 hrs.

As soon Zero Hour started, BJP leader M M Joshi, paying homage to the security force personnel who lost their lives while defending the ''supreme body of democracy'' on December 13, 2001, said that despite nine security force personnel being killed in defending Parliament, attempts were being made to save those responsible for the attack.

He urged the government to respect the supreme sacrifice made by the security force personnel and punish the guilty responsible for the attack. Pointing out that relatives of the killed security personnel have threatened to return the bravery medals awarded, in protest against the delay in punishing Mohammad Afzal, he said that it was a serious matter and should be considered seriously.

Moreover, there are reports, that police was trying to terrorise these relatives, Dr Joshi said, adding that ''if these were proved correct, then it was a very serious and shameful issue.'' Noting that the clemency petition of Afzal was submitted about three months back to President, who has sent it back to the Home Ministry, he said the cabinet has still not taken a decisionon it, amking the people ''unhappy, angry and frustrated.'' He also said out that some reports have quoted some parties, as accusing the then ruling party for the attack, ''which was in very bad taste.''

Shiv Sena's Manohar Joshi said that though Afzal has been ordered to be hanged till death by the Supreme Court, the punishment was being delayed. Asserting that those indulging in such terror activities be punished severly, he demanded that the sentence be carried out forthwith. Other NDA members also started shouting slogans demanding that Afzal be hanged.

On this, CPM leader Brinda Karat and RJD leader Ramdeo Singh Bhandari and many others from the treasury benches protested and demanded that they be also allowed to speak on the issue.

However, the Deputy Chairman ruled that since the zero hour notice was given by Mr Joshi, others on party lines would not be allowed to speak. He said that the Zero Hour was over and the house would take up further business.

Mr Joshi said that some people feel that judicial process was not being followed in the Afzal case in the name of the mercy petition.

He asked the government to clarify its stand on the death penalty of Afzal and the Congress should also speak clearly on the issue.

The reference to some MPs' statement made by Mr Joshi led to CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury demanding that since allegations are being made against MPs, so they be allowed to speak on the issue.

However, the Chair ruled this out, saying no names have been taken up.

Though on Mr Khan's instruction, the Indian Telegraph Bill was taken up, the opposition continued their protest and again trooped into the well of the house saying that they would not allow Parliament attack convicts to go scot free.

Mr Khan took strong exception to it and said that the opposition members were intentionally not allowing the house to function smoothly. ''This is not correct.. not correct. I don't approve it,'' he said.

When the pandemonium persisted, Home Minister Shivraj Patil said that he would make a statement on the issue. BJP leader SS Ahluwalia protested, stating that rules did not permit this, but Mr Khan firmly reminded him that he knew the rules and he had called the Home Minister to make the statement.

Mr Patil said that the house has paid obeisance this morning to the security personnel who sacrificed their lives to protect Parliament. ''Parliament would always respect those brave security personnel,'' he said, adding that regarding the complaints that the families of the killed security personnel have not yet got compensation, cash compensation has already been paid to them.

Though there were some delay in allocation of petrol pumps to them, it was due to shortage of land, he pointed out and assured all help.

Regarding Afzal's clemency petition, the Home Minister said that three to four such petitions were received by the President, which were sent to the Home Ministry. The Home Ministry has sent them to the Delhi Government for its comment and once it was received, the Home Ministry, along with the Law Ministry, would formulate its opinion on the issue and send it to the President.

However, he reminded that previous data indicated that none of the mercy petitions were disposed off before six to seven years.

Enraged over the home minister's remark, the opposition again rose to its feet shouting slogans that Afzal be hanged soon. Former Law Minister Arun Jaitley pointed out that killers of ex-Army Chief Gen A S Vaidya were hanged during NDA regime and so the case of rape and murder convict Dhananjay of West Bengal.

However, the Home Minister pointed out that the clemency petition of Rajiv Gandhi's assassins were pending with the NDA government for four years. He told Mr Jaitley to ''be brave enough to listen to unpalatable truth.'' Mr Patil said that the government's stand was clear -- it would let the law take its own course. The mercy petition of Afzal would be strictly decided on its merit.

However, the opposition was not satisfied with the Home Minister's assertion and continued shouting slogans demanding death penality to Afzal. When the pandemonium continued, the Deputy Chairman adjourned the house till 1400hrs.

UNI