BJP today expressed the hope that president Pratibha Patil would go by the government recommendation that Parliament attack-convict Afzal Guru be hanged, saying he was "a symbol of treachery and terrorism" who deserved capital punishment.
Senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu said whatever may have been the reasons for the delay deciding on the mercy petition in regard to Afzal, the president should accept government's recommendation, if any, rejecting it.
"The home ministry after so much delay and dilly-dallying seems to have recommended that the Supreme Court verdict should be implemented. We hope that the president will go by the recommendation," Naidu said.
The Rajya Sabha member said Afzal deserved to be hanged for the crime he has committed.
"Afzal Guru is a symbol of treachery, terrorism and anti-national activity. He deserves capital punishment. A strong signal should go to those who are working against the nation," Naidu said.
BJP has often alleged in the past that the Congress-led UPA government and the Shiela Dikshit-led Delhi government were delaying the hanging of Afzal Guru for minority appeasement and vote-bank politics.
