National Conference demands return Afzal Guru s mortal remains

The demand for returning Afzal Guru’s mortal remains to his family is back in focus in Kashmir after the body of Yakub Memon was handed over to his family yesterday for the last rites.

The fresh demand has gained ground in the wake of handing over the body of the lone convict of 1993 Mumbai blast convict Yakub Memon to his family by the jail authorities.

“Guru’s family being deprived of his body was against the tenets of natural justice and undermined the constitutional principles of the country”, NC Chief Spokesperson Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi said here. “Dead bodies don’t do any harm and I think government should have now no problem in handing over his body”.

Ruhulluah, who was a minister during previous NC-Congress regime in the State, said the system of justice can not have different interpretations for different people.

Both ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and opposition National Conference are on the same page for the issue and said that different treatment to Kashmiris highlight the “perception of discrimination” in Union Government for the people of Kashmir.

According to GNS correspondent, while talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function in Pulwama district, PDP youth leader and Political Analyst to CM Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra, said: “They (NC) hanged Afzal guru for their political survival and today they are doing politics on his mortal remains for their political survival again”.

Guru was buried in Tihar later that day amid claims no family member was given permission to meet him before his execution, nor participate in his last rites inside the jail. At that time, separatist and State parties were hell-bent on their demand that body should be returned to Afzal’s family. But the demand was rejected fearing protests in the Valley.