Chidambaram's 'sudden doubts' over Afzal Guru's role

Former finance minister Mr.P Chidambaram,who also served as home minister in the previous govt, has made a controversial statement today.

There are doubts over Afzal Guru’s role in Parliament attack: P Chidambaram 

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/there-are-doubts-over-afzal-gurus-role-in-parliament-attack-p-chidambaram/articleshow/51130246.cms

P Chidambaram says, that is, now Mr.Chidambaram says, there are doubts over Afzal Guru's role in Parliament attack. dear Chidambaram, the mercy petition filed by Afzal Guru's wife was pending before the President of India when you were the Home Minister. You could have very well recommended the President to   accept the mercy petition sir.

When Supreme court rejected Afzal's appeal your party was in power. Infact your govt was supported by the Communist party until 2008. the prosecution should have argued in favor of govt,which means, against Afzal Guru. The apex court has rejected his appeal and upheld the death penalty awarded to Afzal in lower courts. While the Supreme court rejected Afzal's appeal against the High court order, it commuted Shaukat Hussain Guru's death sentence to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and it acquitted S A R Gilani citing lack of evidence.

"At the same time, suspicion however strong, cannot take place of legal proof. Though this conduct was not above board, the court cannot condemn him in the absence of sufficient evidence pointing unmistakably to his guilt," it had said

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Supreme-Court-was-suspicious-of-S-A-R-Gilanis-conduct/articleshow/18423951.cms

Afzal's defense, filed a plea which sought the review of his death sentence which was again dismissed by Supreme court in 2007 saying "there is no merit" in it. Coming back to Congress, Delhi government(Congress) dismissed his mercy petition in the year 2010. Mrs. Sheila Dikshit was the CM of Delhi then.

On 3rd February 2013, the honorable President of India, Mr.Pranab Mukherjee rejected Afzal Guru's mercy petition. As per my understanding, the home minister of India, should recommend the President to reject the mercy petition. It was again when your party was in power, his mercy petition was rejected and Sushil Kumar Shinde was the Home Minister then. He was hanged when your party was in power. His body was not handed over to his family. His family was not informed about the decision to hang Afzal prior to hanging. The Home Minister sent the information about Afzal's hanging through speed post to his family which reached them 2 days after hanging. Afzal Guru, in his last letter, wrote that he was not given enough time to write a detailed letter to his family.

Mr. Chidambaram, your party is responsible for executing Afzal Guru. You were the Home Minister of India for 4 years (2008 - 2012) and the mercy petition was pending before the President of India since 2006. 3 years after hanging Afzal Guru, making a statement like 'I was not the home minister when he was hanged' is just laughable and shows how much your party has been cornered.

Afzal Guru's death penalty was awarded by a trial court, then upheld by a High court, then by a Supreme court. The plea seeking review of the death sentence too was not successful. So Mr.Chidambaram, you mean to say that all these courts made a mistake by awarding death penalty to Afzal Guru? And you were not aware of the mercy petition pending before the President when you were Home minister? Or 'someone' stopped you from acting on the mercy petition? If so who is that 'someone'?

I can only say this is just a proof that the congress party will stoop down to any extent for gaining political mileage.