Kashmir: Garboil in J&K assembly over Afzal Guru’s body

By Zaheerul Hassan

There was an uproar in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly Tuesday after the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) demanded that the mortal remains of Afzal Guru be brought back to the state and some angry members almost came to blows.

Parliament attack convict Guru was hanged and buried in Delhi’s Tihar Jail Feb 9. Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde Monday ruled out handing over his body to his family.

While the PDP raised the demand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) rose to counter its members, resulting in ruckus. Speaker Mubarak Gul adjourned the house twice.

When the house assembled for the third time, members stood on tables after Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Mir Saifullah addressed Guru as “Afzal Guru sahib”. The BJP and the JKNPP members started shouting slogans and the speaker  adjourned the house till 3 p.m.

In the afternoon session, the situation worsened when the legislators almost came to blows and independent member Engineer Rashid was pushed out of the house, while the opposition continued to protest.

The bench of JKNPP leader Harshdev Singh was smashed by angry members from the opposition.

Amidst all the din and noise, the grants of forests ministry were passed in less than 10 minutes.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his arch rival, PDP patron and former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had also written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh listing the demand on Guru’s mortal remains.

For Kashmir-based parties, the return of Afzal Guru’s body to his family has become an issue, while Jammu-based parties are opposing the demand.

The only solution to flash point is to implement UNO resolution over Kashmir, otherwise global community sooner or later has to face World War III.