Srinagar, Feb 10: Peoples Democratic Party Sunday attacked Congress led UPA Government over hanging of Muhammad Afzal Guru saying it was an “unfortunate” move taken to combat opposition BJP and “divert attention” from the mounting corruption and bad governance at the center.
The party said the execution of Guru has created trust deficit in the Valley and it could undo the investment made in the peace process in Jammu and Kashmir.
“They thought it is going to be the antidote for all the ills people are facing from misgovernance to the corruption. It was not a move against terrorism,” Mehbooba said addressing a press conference here. “It seems there is no statesman left in New Delhi who could have seen the repercussions (of the execution).” 
The 43-year old Guru, convicted in the attack on Parliament in 2001 was hanged on Saturday morning at Tihar Jail in New Delhi where he had been lodged for the past over a decade. The execution came following rejection of his mercy plea by President Pranab Mukherjee on February 3. He was executed at 8 am and buried in the prison premises in a secret operation.
Mehbooba accused the Government of India of having jumping the queue on hanging Guru saying the decision was still pending against the killers of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.
“Why did they jump the queue? How can be they so selective? It was the question of justice. They have done it in a shameful manner. From a 4-year old girl to 60-year old woman rapes are going on. They looked for a shortcut to score brownie points against BJP. It was unfortunate,” said Mehbooba, flanked by party chief spokesman Naem Akthar and senior leader Altaf Ahmad Bukhari.
The situation in Kashmir continues to be tense from Saturday morning and the state Government has clamped down strict curfew to prevent situation from going out of control.
The PDP chief said a lot of investment had gone into the peace and reconciliatory process in JK from the times of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to present Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
But, she said the execution has come as “setback” to the whole process and it could create trust deficit.
Mehbooba said over the years people in Kashmir were “moving ahead” and they wanted to “forget the rigged election of 1987 and hanging of Maqbool Bhat”.
“But you have refreshed their memories and people feel disempowered,” she said.
Attacking Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba said: Here is the Chief Minister who is part of the UPA and claims that he was not informed. How can he be so hypocrite?” Mehbooba asked. “And if he was not informed it shows the disempowerment in J&K continues. How could have he been kept out of decision.”
Quoting a New Delhi based Newspaper Mehbooba said: “The Chief Minister had in fact sought execution of Guru in recently ended Chillai Kalan (harshest winter period) and that too on weekend.”
She criticized Union Government for keeping family of Guru in dark on his execution. “This is very sad; we are living in a democracy and the way it was carried it is not part of decency,” Mehbooba said.
The PDP supported the demand by the family of Guru that his body should be returned to them for burial. Mehbooba said they were always against hanging of Guru and the party had appealed to the president on number of times to convert his sentence into life imprisonment. 
On restriction imposed by the government, Mehbooba said it was “martial law” like situation in Kashmir. 

Lastupdate on : Sun, 10 Feb 2013 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 10 Feb 2013 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 11 Feb 2013 00:00:00 IST