Mumbai: Ajmal Kasab and Afzal Guru, both convicted for terror attacks and awarded death penalty, should be hanged publicly, Shiv Sena Executive President Uddhav Thackeray said today.
The two should be hanged publicly, he said and sought to know whether the Government has the courage to carrying out the death sentence of the duo, confirmed by the Supreme Court. “Does the Government have the guts to carry out the sentence?” Uddhav asked while talking to reporters at Sena Bhawan at Dadar in Central Mumbai.
PTI
“The question now is when will Kasab be hanged? Or is there a waiting list for the hanging as in the case of Afzal Guru (convicted in 2001 Parliament attack case)?” Uddhav said his party would approach the Prime Minister and President to seek amendments in Article 72 of the Constitution to enable only Indians to seek clemency in case they are awarded death sentence.
Article 72 empowers the President to grant pardon, reprieve or commute punishment, including death penalty, of convicted persons. “Are our laws meant for Indians or Pakistani nationals?” the Sena leader said when asked about the issue of Kasab, a Pakistani citizen, filing mercy petition after the apex court today upheld the death sentence awarded to him in the Mumbai attack case.
Sena chief Bal Thackeray has been insisting for long that illegal Bangladeshis should be sent back and influx of migrants into Mumbai must be stopped, Uddhav said. He underlined the need to have a permit system to curb
influx of illegal migrants in the financial capital.
Uddhav said his party would give a prize of Rs 1 lakh to policemen who helped nab the person who vandalised the iconic Amar Jawan memorial in South Mumbai during the 11 August violence.
PTI
