Jammu, Mar 12: Congress legislators appeared to be in a catch 22 situation inside the Legislative Assembly Tuesday as they kept mum while there was uproar in the House over the statement of union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on return of Afzal Guru’s mortal remains.
As Shinde’s statement was being repeatedly questioned in the house, there was no reaction whatsoever from the Congress members.
Congress members also did not react when many of the members repeatedly said that returning of Afzal’s body is the unanimous demand of the house and denial of the same is disrespect to the Assembly.
While the house was rocked by complete pandemonium amid three adjournments and repeated demand from both PDP and ruling National Conference (NC) members that Afzal’s body should be returned, none of the Congress members for once tried to defend and justify Shinde’s statement in which he had made it clear that Afzal’s mortal remains can’t be returned to his family.
Congress members also kept mum while Afzal Guru was being referred to as ‘Guru Sahab’ by the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mir Saifullah.
Speaking to mediapersons outside the house, Saifullah said NC has the support of its coalition partner Congress in its demand for return of Afzal’s body. “There are no differences among the coalition partners. They are with us”, he said while referring to NC’s demand on return of Afzal’s mortal remains.
Meanwhile, PHE and Irrigation Minister Sham Lal Sharma, told mediapersons outside the House that “calling Guru as Sahab and Shaheed will not be tolerated”.
Later, when the house reassembled in the afternoon after three adjournments, he asked the members to first resign and then talk against institutions of the country. “You have taken oath under constitution, so first resign and then talk against these constitutional institutions”, he said.
The issue had created ripples in the coalition earlier this month after Speaker Mubarak Gul announced that he would allow the adjournment motion to discuss hanging of Afzal Guru and its aftermath. NC leaders held more than four closes-door meetings with Congress ministers in order to ensure that the coalition ties remain unaffected amid controversy surrounding the issue.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 12 Mar 2013 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 12 Mar 2013 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:00:00 IST