Congratulating newly-elected President Pranab Mukherjee, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Monday urged him to reject the mercy plea filed by the 2001 Parliament attack death row convict Afzal Guru.
“Start your tenure as the President with a sacred deed of rejecting the mercy petition of Afzal Guru, who was involved in the terrorist strike on the Parliament and create a history,” Mr Thackeray said.
Shiv Sena had voted in favour of Mr Mukherjee, who was the UPA nominee, even though its alliance partner BJP had supported Mr P.A. Sangma. “We have lot of expectations from Mr Mukherjee. In fact we demand that he first hangs Afzal Guru. Such terrorists who attack sovereignty of the country should not be allowed to stay alive,” Mr Thackeray added.
Responding to Mr Thackeray’s demands, Mr Mukherjee said he can’t comment on the Afzal clemency plea. “President’s action is to be done on the basis of the advice, which he or she gets from the Council of Ministers,” he said, adding, “Therefore, these are the matters on which nobody will hear from me at any time under what circumstances I am taking the decision. Decisions may be known to the individual but the process of decision-making should remain secret (sic).”
On the same day, Mr Thackeray also said that chief minister Prithviraj Chavan’s post may be in “jeopardy”. “If Mr Sharad Pawar was to pull the rug from under (the UPA), the Centre will not collapse, but certainly, Prithviraj Chavan’s chief ministerial chair can be in jeopardy,” Mr Thackeray said in an editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana.
“Mr Pawar’s statement that he wants to exit from the government as he has to strengthen the NCP in Maharashtra is bound to give the Congress sleepless nights,” the Sena chief said.