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Gaurav Mittal
Hang Afzal and suffer: ex-J&K CM
The debate over whether or not Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal should be hanged continues. Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah has warned that if the death sentence is carried out – it could well have dangerous consequences.
Speaking exclusively to CNN-IBN’s Karan Thapar on Devil’s Advocate, Abdullah said: “We have paid the price of Maqbool Butt's hanging by the judge who was shot in Kashmir. Let me be very candid on this programme – those judges will need to be protected like anything.”
Abdullah has warned that some crook will come and murder the judges.
“Therefore my request in your programme is that for God's sake, see that they are protected. One. Secondly, I will tell you – this nation will go up in flames – because the terrorists will do such things that will destroy the relationships of the Hindus and the Muslims here,” he added.
Abdullah said that the hanging of Mohammed Afzal, convicted for the 2001 attack, would turn him into a "a hero" and provide "a massive weapon to the separatists".
Abdullah argued that if clemency was not shown to Afzal "you will be making him a hero for centuries to come". Afzal is due to hang October 20.
"He's a man who is least important at this time. Secondly, you are going to give a massive weapon to the separatists in Jammu and Kashmir. The separatists are (already) saying this is the way they (India) treat Kashmiris," Abdullah said.
Taking a rather contradictory statement, Abdullah first insisted that Afzal was "innocent", and later on went to assert that the conviction was correct but the punishment "extreme".
"The unfortunate problem is the lower court, which had given the sentence. If he Afzal had got the right lawyer at that stage I'm confident that his case would have been proved that he is not directly involved in this.
"He himself was never there in the Parliament House. The point is the evidence put forward by the police is not absolutely infallible."
Abdullah claimed that another consequence of hanging Afzal would be the damage to the India-Pakistan peace process.
The National Conference leader even feared that if Afzal is hanged the judges who convicted and sentenced him could be "murdered".
"This nation will go up in flames because the terrorists will do such things which will destroy the relationship between the Hindus and Muslims here. Kashmir will anyway go up in flames. There will be turmoil which India will have to face."
While voices of dissent have emerged from the Kashmir Valley – Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad even reportedly approached Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking Afzal’s clemency – there have been hot protests in Delhi and elsewhere.
Afzal, convicted for aiding five terrorists who stormed the Parliament December 13, 2001, was sentenced to death by a trial court, and the Supreme Court had later upheld the verdict.
The debate over whether or not Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal should be hanged continues. Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah has warned that if the death sentence is carried out – it could well have dangerous consequences.
Speaking exclusively to CNN-IBN’s Karan Thapar on Devil’s Advocate, Abdullah said: “We have paid the price of Maqbool Butt's hanging by the judge who was shot in Kashmir. Let me be very candid on this programme – those judges will need to be protected like anything.”
Abdullah has warned that some crook will come and murder the judges.
“Therefore my request in your programme is that for God's sake, see that they are protected. One. Secondly, I will tell you – this nation will go up in flames – because the terrorists will do such things that will destroy the relationships of the Hindus and the Muslims here,” he added.
Abdullah said that the hanging of Mohammed Afzal, convicted for the 2001 attack, would turn him into a "a hero" and provide "a massive weapon to the separatists".
Abdullah argued that if clemency was not shown to Afzal "you will be making him a hero for centuries to come". Afzal is due to hang October 20.
"He's a man who is least important at this time. Secondly, you are going to give a massive weapon to the separatists in Jammu and Kashmir. The separatists are (already) saying this is the way they (India) treat Kashmiris," Abdullah said.
Taking a rather contradictory statement, Abdullah first insisted that Afzal was "innocent", and later on went to assert that the conviction was correct but the punishment "extreme".
"The unfortunate problem is the lower court, which had given the sentence. If he Afzal had got the right lawyer at that stage I'm confident that his case would have been proved that he is not directly involved in this.
"He himself was never there in the Parliament House. The point is the evidence put forward by the police is not absolutely infallible."
Abdullah claimed that another consequence of hanging Afzal would be the damage to the India-Pakistan peace process.
The National Conference leader even feared that if Afzal is hanged the judges who convicted and sentenced him could be "murdered".
"This nation will go up in flames because the terrorists will do such things which will destroy the relationship between the Hindus and Muslims here. Kashmir will anyway go up in flames. There will be turmoil which India will have to face."
While voices of dissent have emerged from the Kashmir Valley – Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad even reportedly approached Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking Afzal’s clemency – there have been hot protests in Delhi and elsewhere.
Afzal, convicted for aiding five terrorists who stormed the Parliament December 13, 2001, was sentenced to death by a trial court, and the Supreme Court had later upheld the verdict.
