SP to protest against Saddam execution

By our special correspondant

New Delhi Jan. 3: The Samajwadi Party will organise a demonstration at Jantar Mantar on Thursday to protest against the execution of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. The SP will also be organising demonstrations throughout UP on Thursday where effigies of US President George W. Bush will be burnt.

The demonstration at Jantar Mantar will be led by SP general-secretary Amar Singh. UP CM Mulayam Singh Yadav is also scheduled to visit Delhi on Thursday but it is uncertain whether he will be present at the protest at Jantar Mantar. The SP is expected to turn on the heat on the Congress-led UPA government whom it had accused of doing little to save Saddam or stop his execution. The SP has accused the UPA government of giving a "lukewarm response" to the issue.

On December 30, the day of Saddam Hussein’s execution, Mr Amar Singh had termed the execution as "barbaric". He had also announced that the SP would observe January 4 as a "black day" throughout UP (where it is the ruling party) when demonstrations against US President George W. Bush will be held and his effigies burnt. "Saddam’s murder is barbaric. A puppet government and judiciary was set up in Iraq by US President Bush told them what has to be done. Mr Bush is a murderer. Saddam was not given a chance to defend himself properly during the trial"; Mr Singh said, adding that "Saddam Hussein was a traditional friend of India who always backed us on the Kashmir issue. India have let down our traditional friends". "The Congress party has called it a hanging but it is a murder. The UPA government is licking the boots of the US. The UPA government lead by our beloved PM Dr Manmohan Singh has become a puppet regime of the US", Mr Amar Singh had pointed out, adding that "the UPA government should have created a strong protest to ward off the threat of execution so that the US forces could have listened to it".