Afzal Guru

"Afzal Guru was held guilty of participating in the entire conspiracy. He was hanged on 9 February 2013 after a long legal procedure. Predictably, Pakistan condemned the capital punishment to Afzal Guru. However, many people started to term him as a hero within the country as well."

"Omar Abdullah's statement is extremely objectionable and anti-India; any amount of criticism is not enough... He is speaking in favour of such terrorists. .. The Congress is with such anti-India statements. There is no difference between Abdullah and Congress... The people of India will not forgive this."

"The unfortunate thing was that the J&K government had nothing to do with Afzal Guru's execution... Otherwise, you would have had to do it with the permission of the state government, which I can tell you in no uncertain terms would not have been forthcoming. We wouldn't have done it. I don't believe that any purpose was served by executing him."

"Afzal Guru was given death punishment by the law. The matter went to the Supreme Court, and even a review was done but he was found to be involved in anti-national and terrorist activities... To win the election, will you talk about breaking India? It's good that his real face has just been exposed. The people of Kashmir and BJP won't let his conspiracy to weaken India be successful."

"Law is taking its own course. President rejected his mercy petition on 3 February and after that we started the proceedings of his execution as per jail manuals."

"The capital punishment awarded to Afzal Guru was part of legal and constitutional process, which ought to have taken place earlier... Supreme Court had upheld his death sentence and again in 2007 had rejected his review petition. The question of delay remains important."

"There is a certain degree of angst against this execution. There are people who for their own political advantages will try to take advantage and add more inconvenience to people.”* *“We have made precautionary arrangements and forces have been mobilized in certain cities and districts... Unlike the case of Maqbool Bhatt, government of Jammu and Kashmir was not required to sign death warrant of Afzal Guru as there was no case was registered against him in the state."

"India has a rule of law and this decision should have been taken when Supreme Court had first upheld the death sentence. It is unfortunate that such decisions become subject to electoral politics."

"It has come at a time when government is preparing for a dream budget. First the government raised prices of diesel and increased hike in rail fares. Kasab was hanged and now Afzal Guru. The government is doing whatever it could do to prepare for the elections... The other reason is that with RSS and VHP pitching for Modi, the election fight is gradually moving towards extreme nationalism."

"Better late than never."