Prior to sending the file on the mercy plea of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, the Delhi government had got in touch with the Jammu and Kashmir government on the law-and-order situation that might follow in the wake of the government taking any decision on Afzal’s petition.
A senior Delhi government official on the condition of anonymity said, “there were concerns of a backlash in the Kashmir valley if a decision on Afzal was taken. The Delhi government had a word with the Jammu and Kashmir government on the issue.” He refused to divulge any further detail on the matter.
When contacted for his version on the issue, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah refused to comment.
Meanwhile, Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, while talking to reporters on Friday said: “The Delhi government has not opposed Afzal’s death sentence but expressed concerns of law and order if he is executed.”