BJP has linked the delay in forwarding an opinion to the President to the UPA's "soft -on -terror" policy, and for considerations of vote bank politics. Since the filing of the mercy plea, the Guru case has been highly politicized - with BJP accusing the government of dragging its feet and the Centre arguing that it was only proceeding on a case-by-case basis. The aggression almost provoked an Indo-Pak war, with India mobilizing troops along the border to force Pakistan to cut its support to terror groups. Guru, along with some others, was accused of plotting the audacious attack on Parliament on Decemin which a group of jihadis came very close to wiping out India's political brass. The home ministry has endorsed the views of the Delhi government. The home ministry, in turn, seeks the view of the relevant state government where the crime took place, which in Guru's case is Delhi. Mercy pleas are submitted to the President, who then refers them to the Centre for an opinion. Guru was convicted in 2004 and the sentence was to be executed in October 2006, when his wife filed the mercy plea. Her decision with regard to the three Rajiv case accused is a case in point. Although Patil can ask the government to reconsider the recommendation, that will be out of line with the practice Rashtrapati Bhavan usually follows. Her decision could very well turn out to be the pointer to the call she takes in the case of Guru whose fate has become a politically divisive issue. Patil recently turned down the mercy pleas of Rajiv case accused Murugan, Santhan and Arivu, setting the stage for their execution. NEW DELHI: President Pratibha Patil, who turned down the mercy petitions of three Rajiv Gandhi assassination convicts, has been advised by the Centre to reject a similar plea filed by Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
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