Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar supports PDP, advocates returning Afzal Guru's remains

New Delhi, March 3: Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has subscribed PDP's demand that mortal remains of of Afzal Guru must be returned to his family. This has come to fore hours after Home Ministry rejected the demand.

Aiyar regretted that Parliament attack convict Guru was hanged despite no conclusive proof was available against him.

Advocating PDP's stand, Aiyar said,"I was very upset when he was hanged. There wasn't any conclusive evidence (to hang him). I think injustice was done. I was always in favour of returning Afzal Guru's remains".

This remark may not augur well among other party leaders as terrorist was hanged in UPA's regime only. If the incident gave him so much pain, why he didn't oppose the move right then.

Meanwhile, BJP's ally Shiv Sena has slammed Mani Shankar Aiyar. Lashing out at Congress leader , Sena leader Sanjay Raut said, "He should make statements in Pakistan, not here. Afzal Guru was hanged because he was anti-national."

On Monday, PDP leaders had demanded the return of the mortal remains of Afzal Guru to the Valley. Afzal Guru, sentenced to death in the 2001 parliament attack case, was hanged on February 9, 2013 when Congress-led UPA was in the power.

The demand came close on the heels of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's remark where he gave credit for peaceful voting in the state to Pakistan and separatists. Sayeed's Peoples Democratic Party has an alliance government with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state.

On Tuesday, the Lok Sabha was adjourned twice following protests by the Opposition over controversial comments made by Sayeed.

The house met at 11 am but was soon adjourned till 11.30 am and then till 11.45 am during the question hour as the opposition leaders demanded an answer from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sayeed's statement giving credit to militants and Pakistan for the smooth conduct of assembly elections in the state.

OneIndia News