The 2001 Indian parliament attack convict Mohammmad Afzal Guru on Wednesday moved a curative petition in the Supreme Court here against his death sentence even as the opposition stressed the urgency for his immediate hanging. The petition was moved amid official ceremonies in Parliament House to mark the fifth anniversary of the attempted attack on the Indian parliament building. Families of security personnel killed on December 13 while gunning down terrorists, marched to the Rashtrapati Bhawan and returned gallantry medals awarded posthumously to the personnel. Home Minister Shivraj Patil asserted in the Rajya Sabha that the families had already received financial help and rejected BJP-Shiv SenaÂ’s demand for AfzalÂ’s immediate hanging pointing out that it takes up to seven years to decide on clemency petitions. The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for a post-lunch session after opposition members began shouting slogans against Guru.
Patil added to the fury of the protestors by pointing out that many clemency petitions were kept pending even during the NDA regime. Referring to an earlier detailed statement in Parliament on the fate of numerous clemency petitions, he pointed out that it took six to seven years before a decision could be taken on such petitions.