MUMBAI: Severely criticizing the two-member Pradhan committee for clearing the Mumbai police and the Maharashtra government in its report on the last November Mumbai terror attacks, the working president of Shiv Sena, Uddhav Thackeray, on Saturday demanded the immediate execution of the Parliament terror attack convict Afzal Guru and Mumbai terror attack accused Mohammed Ajmal Amir Qasab.
"The Pradhan panel report and Qasab trial are attempts to divert the peoples' attention from the main issues. Had the state government and the police been competent enough, then the situation would have been different and hundreds of people would have not been killed in the terrorist attacks.
"However, the Pradhan committee without putting the blame on anyone for the attacks had only left everyone Scot-free. This means that Qasab had not killed police officials like Hemant Karkare, Ashok Kamte, Vijay Salaskar and Ombale. Does the Pradhan committee wants to state that all these police officers killed in the terrorist attacks in Mumbai had themselves committed suicide," Uddhav asked.
Uddhav further said that the Qasab's trial was all a drama where public money was being laundered. By giving Qasab an opportunity to defend, the government was making mockery of the martyrs in the terrorist attacks. "Instead of hanging Qasab, millions of public money is being spent on his security. Government rules and red tape comes in the way when there is a demand to provide the police with modern weapons to fight the Maoist guerillas. Then under what rules does the expenditure on Qasab falls," Uddhav asked.
Coming down heavily on the Congress party, Uddhav said, "Following strictures and pubic outcry over the mishandling of the terrorist attacks, Vilasrao Deshmukh had to resign from the Maharashtra chief minister's post. Now by rewarding him with a federal minister's post, the Congress has rubbed salt on the wounds of the martyrs."
"Presently, there is a competition to make Qasab a hero through media. What does he eat and drink, how does he behave, how he speaks and laughs, as if he is an Indian freedom fighter martyr of the stature of Bhagat Singh."
However, Uddhav said that all these shameless attitude should stop, and without making any further mockery of the martyrs, the government should immediately hang Afzal and Qasab immediately.
Uddhav said that a Shiv Sena delegation would shortly call upon President Pratibha Patil in this aspect, apprise her of people's sentiments, and request her to immediately sign on the orders of the execution of Afzal and Guru.
Meanwhile,the monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature starts today. In the session, the budget for financial year 2009-10 would be tabled even as issues like 26/11 terror attacks, farmers' suicides and controversy over proposed statue of Maratha ruler Shivaji would loom over the session.
The session assumes importance for both the ruling Congress-NCP Democratic Front and the Shiv Sena-BJP saffron combine, as it is expected to the last session of this assembly as the elections to the Maharashtra Assembly is due in October.
Since the session comes ahead of the assembly polls, it would not be an easy sailing for the Ashok Chavan led government, which would have to do lot of answering. A major thrust would be laid on the energy sector and completion of irrigation projects. On the issue of increasing incidents of terrorism, Home Minister Jayant Patil is expected to announce several measures for modernization of police force.
