J&K: Afzal Guru issue rocks assembly

Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly was adjourned twice on Tuesday following ruckus created by the opposition over Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s refusal to return the mortal remains of the parliament attack convict, Afzal Guru to his family.

As soon as the House met on Tuesday morning, opposition Peoples Democratic Party members and the independent MLA Engineer Abdul Rashid raised the issue of the return of the mortal remains of Guru to his family. However, the BJP and the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party members were on their toes countering the PDP members.

Speaker Mubarak Gul adjourned the House twice. Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Mir Saifullah later informed the House that the state government had already requested the Centre for the return of the mortal remains of Afzal Guru to his family members.

Intervening during several members raising the issue in the House, the minister

said that the seriousness of the state government can be gauged from the fact that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had written a letter to the Centre demanding the return of the body. He said the ‘government shares the concern and feelings of the members on this issue’.

The separatists have been in the forefront to demand the return of the mortal remains of Guru and they have again called yet another shutdown on Wednesday to press the demand.

The state chief minister and PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed have already written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue.

Guru’s family has expressed shock on the Union home minister’s refusal to return the mortal remains. They, however, said that their fight will continue.

The separatists have formed a conglomerate Muttahida Majlis-e-Mushawarat comprising almost all separatist groups to get their demand agreed to.

The MMM has also called for protests on Friday.