Shekhawat leads nation in paying homage to Parliament attack martyrs

New Delhi, Dec 13 (UNI) Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Home Minister Shivraj Patil, BJP leader L K Advani and Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee were among a host of leaders who today paid homage to the security personnel martyred foiling the December 2001 terrorist attack on Parliament.

The leaders offered floral tributes at the portraits of Delhi Police personnel -- ASI Ram Pal, ASI Nanak Chand, Head Constables Vijendra Singh and Ghanshyam, Constable Om Prakash, CRPF Lady Constable Kamlesh Kumari, Parliament Watch and Ward Staff's Matwar Singh Negi and J P Yadav, and CPWD employee Desh Raj in the Parliament premises.

Deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha K Rehman Khan, Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs P R Dasmunsi and senior BJP leader Dr Murli Manohar Joshi were also among those who paid floral tribute to the martyrs.

On the occasion, Sardar Singh, father of Om Prakash, steered clear of the controversy regarding the clemency petition of Afzal Guru, the prime convict in the Parliament attack case.

Asked whether his son's sacrifice had gone waste, Sardar Singh said he did not think like that.

''My son has given his life while trying to safeguard Parliament, and there is no question of the sacrifice going waste,'' he said.

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