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No clemency for Afzal, say victims' kin
Published on Tue, Oct 10, 2006 at 19:44 in India section
Tags: Parliament Attack, Death Penalty , New Delhi
New Delhi: Widows of security personnel, who died in the Parliament attack, met President A P J Abdul Kalam on Tuesday to plead against mercy for Mohammad Afzal, who faces execution in connection with the 2001 terror strike.
"We told the President that if one terrorist is spared, 100,000 more will come up," Ganga Devi, widow of sub-inspector Nanak Chand, said after meeting Kalam. "It was karva chauth (a religious occasion when women pray for long life for their husbands) on Tuesday and we pleaded for execution of Afzal."
Seven women, who lost their husbands in the Parliament attack, were part of an 11-member group that petitioned to Kalam that Afzal deserved no clemency and that there should be a fixed time limit for the Council of Ministers to give advice to the President on mercy petitions.
"We told the President that no politician should be allowed to give a decision on mercy petitions. In this case especially, let there by a final decision by December 13," All India Anti-Terrorist Front (AIATF) chief M S Bitta, who led the group, said, referring to the upcoming anniversary of the Parliament attack.
A former Youth Congress leader, Bitta, in a memorandum to Kalam, described the calls of support for Afzal by 'some political parties' as indicative of 'selfish motives'.
The memorandum, which said Afzal deserved no compassion, also referred to terror attacks in Mumbai, Malegaon, Delhi and Ayodhya.
The widows alleged they faced demand for bribes in securing allotment of petrol pumps as a source of livelihood promised to them after they lost their husbands.
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