NEW DELHI, Dec 4: The Home Ministry has not yet taken any decision on the mercy petition of Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru.
Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said today that the file related to the mercy petition of Guru, returned by President Pranab Mukherjee for review by him, was still with the Home Ministry.
“So far, the file (Guru’s) is with the Home Ministry. It has not come to me yet. So far, I have seen only one file of mercy petition and that was of (26/11 terrorist) Ajmal Kasab,” he told reporters here.
Kasab was hanged in Yerawada jail in Pune on November 21.
Earlier, both Delhi Government and the Home Ministry had recommended that Guru’s mercy petition, filed by his wife, be rejected by the President.
However, after Shinde took charge as Home Minister on August 1, the file was sent back by the President for a review by Shinde.
Meanwhile, India today invited Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik to visit here on December 11-13 for operationalisation of liberalized visa agreement between the two countries.
Shinde said he has sent the invite through the diplomatic channel.
“During the visit, the new Indo-Pak visa agreement will be operationalised,” he said.
Shinde said Malik’s birthday falls on December 12 and he had expressed his desire to spend the day at the Taj Mahal and the Government would facilitate his visit to the historic city.
Asked whether Malik’s wife would also accompany him, Shinde said “we will welcome his visit with family.”
The new liberalised Indo-Pak visa pact replaces a 38-year-old restrictive visa agreement and paves the way for time-bound visa approval and greater people-to-people contact and trade.
The visa agreement, signed by then External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and Malik in Islamabad on September 8, eases curbs on issuing visas to traders, elderly people, tourists, pilgrims, members of civil society and children.
Under the new regime, one can visit five places, instead of the three at present, and those above 65 years of age and children below 12 years of age and “eminent” businessmen are exempted from reporting to the police.
Malik had indicated to Shinde, when they met in Rome on the sidelines of the Interpol General Assembly last month, that he would travel to New Delhi to formally launch the new visa regime.
However, due to the winter session of Parliament, the visit could not be materialise. Later, official sources said that as the Government was planning to hang 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab on November 21, the visit was put on hold.
Meanwhile, day before the vote on FDI retail in the Lok Sabha, Government today said there was no cause for worry and everything will be clear by tomorrow evening.
“Let’s not worry at all. Tomorrow 6 o’clock, everything will be clear and we will get the result, said.
Shinde was replying to a question on what would be UPA’s strategy as its outside supporters Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party were yet to clarify their stand on the vote in the Lower House.
Asked why he lost his temper during a discussion in Parliament, Shinde said a Shiv Sena MP was attacking the Government and he got angry as he was using some unparliamentary words and he wanted to have the words expunged. “That was the only reason,” he said.
On anti-corruption activist Arvind Kejriwal’s criticism of Congress, the Home Minister said Kejriwal had formed a party and he was free to criticise whoever he wishes. “What else he can do, he can criticise,” he said. (PTI)
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