Afzal Guru hanged 

Afzal Guru, the convict of the December 13, 2001 Parliament attack has been hanged.  Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde confirmed the news and said that Afzal Guru was hanged at 8 am. The hanging came 11 years 58 days after the attack. With this curtains have been drawn into the most heinous attack on the symbol of Indian Democracy. Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said that UPA government will never shy away from taking any decision with respect to internal security of the country.  He was speaking at the Think Edu conclave going on in Chennai. Manish Tewari said that due process of law was followed in the case of Afzal Guru and he was given to exercise his right to plead for clemency from the president after being given fair trail in all the three stages of our judicial system. Hanging of Afzal Guru has been welcomed by a wide cross section of society. Congress Party has welcomed the decision and said that the government is firm in its resolve to stamp out terrorism. Main Opposition Parties, the BJP and Left have also hailed the hanging of Afzal Guru. Prominent religous leader Maulana Firangi Mahal from Lucknow has also welcomed the hanging of Afzal Guru, terming him as an enemy of humanity. Prez rejected Afzal Guru's mercy petition on Feb 3: Home Secy Home Secretary RK Singh said President had rejected Afzal's mercy plea on 3rd February. "The President rejected Afzal Guru's mercy petition on February 3 and after that we followed the jail manual and his hanging took place today," he told reporters in New Delhi. Asked about Afzal's burial, the Home Secretary said "we will follow the jail manual and act according to the law".  Singh said with the hanging of Afzal Guru, the proceedings of the 2001 Parliament attack case has come to its logical conclusion. "Law and justice took its own course," he said.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 was arrested within hours after the attack from a bus in the national capital. Three other accused SAR Geelani, Afsan Guru and Saukat Guru were picked up later. Curfew imposed in Kashmir Curfew has been imposed in major parts of the Kashmir valley as a precautionary measure since early morning on Saturday moments after Afzal Guru was hanged. Sources said the curfew has been imposed to prevent any law and order problem. Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and state police personnel, wearing bullet proof jackets and holding automatic weapons, were seen deployed in Srinagar and other parts of the valley. Reports said people in majority areas in the Kashmir valley, including Srinagar, Baramulla, Sopore, Anantnag and Pattan, were directed to remain indoor as curfew was imposed. Security tightened in national capital  A tight security was in place across the national Capital on Saturday to ensure that no untoward incident take place in the wake of hanging of Afzal Guru. All the police stations in the city were put on high alert, police sources said. Additional deployment of forces has been made in minority dominated areas across the city, they said. Patrolling is being intensified in crowded market areas, railway stations and bus terminals as part of efforts to tighten security. High alert in UP Uttar Pradesh government has sounded high alert in the entire state particularly in the Kumbh Nagar at Allahabad in the wake of the hanging ofAfzal Guru. Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arun Kumar said security has been stepped up in the state with the deployment of additional forces at sensitive pockets. He said security in the Kumbh Mela area of Allahabad has also been tightened up in view of the main bathing day of Mauni Amavasaya on Sunday. "Commandos of the Central and state forces have been deployed at all important places in the Kumbh area," Mela officials said. Security beefed up in West Bengal In West Bengal police has sent a security alert to all police stations across the state, a senior police official said. "In the wake of the hanging of Afzal Guru, we have sent security alert to all the police stations and security has been beefed up in all the bordering police station areas", Additional Director General (Law and Order) Surajit Kar Purokayastha said.