‘Lie, distortion’: Congress chief Chidambaram slams Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on delay in Afzal Guru’s execution

Congress chief P. Chidambaram on Thursday (July 31, 2025) slammed as a “lie and distortion” Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks alleging delay in finishing up the loss of life sentence for Parliament assault convict Afzal Guru.

The Congress chief’s remarks got here in response to Mr. Shah’s assertion within the Rajya Sabha that the loss of life sentence for Guru couldn’t be carried out for so long as Mr. Chidambaram was the Home Minister.

Afzal Guru hanged in secrecy, buried in Tihar Jail

In an announcement, Mr. Chidambaram mentioned, “Home Minister Amit Shah made an announcement within the Rajya Sabha that ‘Afzal Guru couldn’t be executed so long as P. Chidambaram was Home Minister.” The assertion is a combination of insinuation, lie and distortion.” After the conviction and sentence by the courts, Guru’s spouse filed, on his behalf, a mercy petition to the President of India in October 2006, Mr. Chidambaram mentioned.

“The President rejected the mercy petition on 3-2-2013. Afzal Guru was hanged six days later on 9-2-2013. I was Home Minister during 1-12-2008 and 31-7-2012,” he mentioned.

“During the entire period, the mercy petition was pending before the President. The law is that a sentence of death cannot be carried out until the mercy petition is disposed of,” Mr. Chidambaram identified.