Modi lambasts UPA for delay in Afzal's execution

Kanpur, Apr 3 (UNI) Gujarat Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Narendra Modi has put the central government in dock for the delay in hanging Parliament attack case prime accused Mohd Afzal Guru.

Addressing an election meeting here last night, Mr Modi said when the attackers of Akshardham Temple could be hanged, why not the attackers of the country's democratic temple, Parliament.

The senior BJP leader alleged that it was due to the Muslim appeasement policy of the centre, that Afzal was still to be hanged.

''Scrapping of Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) has not only given birth to terrorism, but also taken the lives of many innocent soldiers,'' he added.

Mr Modi lamented that Gujarat government had announced reward of Rs 10 lakh each to the policemen, who had thwarted the 2005 attack on the Ram Janmabhoomi complex in Ayodhya. ''However, we are yet to get the names of these brave police personnel.'' He squarely blamed the wrong policies of the UPA goverment for this hard situation, ''which was detrimental to the country.'' UNI JAS VS VD GC1553