Dismissing Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah's suggestion that the execution of Afzal Guru was "selective", the Centre on Monday said the cases of killers of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and Punjab chief minister Beant Singh were different.
Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde said Afzal's execution was not a political decision but done according to rules. "In the cases of Rajiv Gandhi and the chief minister, the cases are still pending in Supreme Court. After rejection (of the mercy petitions) cases were filed in the Madras High Court and Supreme Court.
"These cases are still under consideration before the judiciary. Hence it (Afzal) is different from these cases," he told a press conference while responding to query that why the government showed tearing hurry in executing Afzal Guru while the killers of Gandhi and Singh were given options.
Earlier on Sunday, Omar had said that the government will have to be prove to Kashmiris and to the world that the execution of Afzal Guru is not a "selective" one. Omar had asked if attack on Parliament was an attack on symbol of democracy, is an attack on chief minister and former prime minister not an attack on democracy.
Expressing himself against death penalty because " I have no bloodlust", Omar said as long as the capital punishment exists on the statute there should be no "pick and choose". How we would be able to correct or address that sense of injustice and alienation is a question I do not have answers," he added.
Asked if the UPA government went for selective execution of death row convicts by hanging Guru, Omar said it will have to be proved to Kashmiris and to the world that the execution of Afzal Guru is not a "selective" one.
