Kasab's case should not go the Afzal Guru way, says Venkaiah Naidu

Senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu today demanded that the case of Pakistan gunman Ajmal Amir Kasab, who has been awarded death penalty for the Mumbai terror attacks, should not go the Afzal Guru way.

"People of the country want the punishment given to Kasab implemented as early as possible. They do not want any delay
in carrying out the punishment as it happened in the case of
Afzal Guru, convicted for 2001 terror attack on Parliament,"
he told reporters.

"People want the government to begin the process of implementing the punishment immediately," he said.

Naidu said the transparent manner in which the trial was conducted has enhanced the "prestige" of the country and its
judicial system.
 
Asserting that Pakistan was adopting double standards on the issue of terrorism, he said the neighbouring country should prove its sincerity by handing over those involved in 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

"This is a test of Pakistan's sincerity. They fight against terror with the US, while they support terror in Kashmir. They are adopting double standards," he said.

Terming Pakistan as the epicentre of terrorism in the world, the BJP leader said there is no point in holding bilateral talks with them as long as it supported terror against India.

"BJP feels that it does not make any sense to hold talks with Pakistan as long as they do not end its support to terror. You have seen that the man (Faisal Shahzad) who planted a bomb at Times Square in New York is a Pakistani. So, it is clear that there is a Pakistani link to terror attacks around the world," he said.

The Centre should mobilise international community to mount pressure on Pakistan for ending its support to terrorism, Naidu said. 

To a query, he said it is not proper to highlight the religion of the terrorist. 

"We should not get into this. It is a trick by Pakistan. Why do you identify the religion of the terrorist? Maoists are being caught, some are killed in encounters. Do you identify them by their religion? Terrorist is a terrorist. It is not correct to give it a religious colour. It is not in national interest," he said.

Claiming that the UN inquiry committee report on the killing of former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto has mentioned that Pakistan's ISI supported terrorism in Kashmir, Naidu said the report once again established the epicentre of terrorism in the world is Pakistan.