New Delhi/Patna/Bhopal, Feb. 9 (ANI): Cutting across party lines, leaders of various political outfits on Saturday welcomed the execution of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said the law has taken its course.
"I don't want to comment anything further on the issue," she added, while talking to media in the national capital.
Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said justice has been delivered at last.
Kumar, however, questioned the delay in Afzal Guru's execution.
"This matter was pending for many days after the Supreme Court awarded punishment to him for the heinous crime. Justice has been delivered at last. People of the entire country have this feeling that it should have taken place earlier," he told reporters in Patna.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan also echoed similar sentiments as his Bihar counterpart, and said that decision to hang Guru is a very good step.
"The entire country is delighted and relieved following Afzal's execution. But one question always strikes in the mind as to why there has been so much delay in hanging Afzal Guru," he added, while talking to media in Bhopal.
Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati lauded the Centre for taking a firm decision to hang Guru.
"My party welcomes this decision of the government. My party would like to tell the Central Government that it should aside all political interests and take firm and suitable legal action against the terrorists irrespective of his caste and religion in the national interest so that there is an end to terrorism. I fully expect that the Central Government will lay importance on these issues in the days to come," she added.
Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde today confirmed that Guru was hanged at 8 a.m. at the Tihar Jail. Guru was buried inside the prison complex soon after his execution.
President Pranab Mukherjee rejected Guru's mercy plea on February 3 and a final decision to hang him was taken on February 8.
Guru was convicted of conspiracy in the December 2001 attack on Parliament and was sentenced to death by the Supreme Court in 2004.
On 13th December 2001, five heavily-armed gunmen stormed the Parliament complex and opened indiscriminate fire, killing nine persons.
They included five Delhi Police personnel, a woman Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) official, two Parliament watch and ward staff and a gardener.
A journalist, who was injured, died later. All five terrorists were shot dead.
Guru, a Kashmiri Muslim, was arrested within hours after the attack from a bus in the national capital. (ANI)
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