Punjab BJP lambasts Patil's views on Afzal Guru case

Chandigarh, May 22 (UNI) Punjab Forest Minister and senior BJP leader Tikshan Sud today urged President Pratibha Patil to immediately dismiss Union Home Minister Shivtaj Patil for his failure to adhere to the pledge to uphold the Constitution of India and for his utter failure to ensure protection to the ordinary citizens of the country.

Taking a serious note of the Union Home Minister on terrorist Afzal Guru's mercy petition, Mr Sud said that by doing so he not only committed the breach of privilege of Parliament but also denigrated the august office of the President of India.

He said that by comparing dreaded terrorist Afzal Guru with innocent Punjabi citizen Sarabjit, languishing in a Pakistani Jail, Mr Patil had not only hurt the feelings of crores of Punjabis but his foolhardy statement unilaterally branding an innocent citizen a terrorist had put an question mark on his safe release from Pakistan.

He said that if Sarabjit is hanged by Pakistan Government in future, no one else but Mr Patil would be responsible for it.

Mr Sud said that appeasement policy of the UPA government had given a fillip to terrorist attacks in the country.

" When the Union Home Minister can think of pardoning a dreaded terrorist, who dared to attack Parliament, with a view to eliminate all elected representatives of the country, he cannot guarantee the right of life to the citizens of country and should be immediately sacked by the President", the Minister said in a statement.

Mr Sud said that if this trend of pardoning terrorist continued, day was not far when Dawood Ibrahim responsible for Mumbai blasts would be "respectfully extradited to India after being guaranted a pardon from the gallows".

Seeking Mr Patil's dismissal from Union Cabinet with immediate effect, Mr Sud also asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to seek apology from the nation for delaying the execution of Afzal Guru.

UNI HS BK1757