Thanking Pakistan not enough: PDP now wants Afzal Guru's body to be returned to state

It’s barely been a full day since Jammu and Kashmir got a state government, but the alliance between unlikely bed fellows PDP and BJP is already wading through troubled waters. [caption id=“attachment_1380907” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Afzal Guru. AFP[/caption] First Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed inexplicably thanked Pakistan and Islamabad-backed militants soon after he was sworn in, for allowing peaceful polls in Jammu and Kashmir. Before the outrage had begun to take proper root, the party outdid itself when some PDP leaders said they wanted the state government to press the Centre to get back Afzal Guru’s mortal remains. A note allegedly signed by nine PDP leaders,  demands that Guru’s mortal remains are returned to the valley. Although there were reports that the report not may not be bona fide, party MLA Pulwama Mohammad Khalil Band made a statement to the contrary. “Our party has given statement that mortal remains of Afzal Guru should be brought back to the state. We stand firm on our demand. Please ask Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed whether this issue has been discussed with BJP or not,” Band told CNN-IBN. He said that the note was authentic and repeated his demand to return Guru’s body to the state. An ANI report said that Band made the demand both inside and outside the Assembly today. According to the news agency, Langate legislator Engineer Rashid was circulating the note allegedly signed by state cabinet Minister Naeem Akhtar, who is also the PDP spokesperson. The note reportedly said that the late Afzal Guru’s hanging was a travesty of justice, contending that due judicial procedures were not observed. While the main leadership of the BJP has not commented on the incident, leader Subramanian Swamy, as always reacted quickly on Twitter. “If PDP continues to speak outside Common Minimum Programme, will have to remove Article 370. If PDP continues speaking this language, they are only harming themselves,” he said. Udhampur MP and Union Minister Jitendra Singh decided to play safe by saying “I have to read the statement in detail only then can I comment”. Afzal Guru who hailed from Jammu and Kashmir was hanged to death on 9 February 2013 after he was convicted and awarded capital punishment for his role in the December 2001 terrorist attack on Parliament.