Chennai: Demanding an ordinance to abolish capital punishment, veteran journalist Kuldip Nayyar on Saturday accused the BJP of communalising the death penalty awarded to Mohammed Afzal Guru for his role in the 2001 Parliament attack.
Speaking at a press conference organised by the Campaign Against Death Penalty, he charged the BJP with having a hidden agenda in demanding the hanging of Guru.
"The BJP's demand to execute Afzal is only aimed at dividing the country on communal grounds. Why are they not demanding speedy completion of trials or any capital punishment for those guilty of the Staines murder and the Babri Masjid issue?" Nayyar asked.
"It has been proven in court that Afzal has committed a grave crime. But when we pride ourselves for the qualities of forgiveness and generosity in the land of Gandhi, it would only be barbarious and immoral to hang him," Nayyar said.
Former of Mumbai High Court judge H Suresh accused the National Human Rights Commission of not taking a stand in the issue.
Over 125 countries have done away with capital punishment, while India has been increasingly awarding death sentences, more so in recent times, he observed. The death penalty is a violation of human rights by the state, he said.
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