New Delhi, Dec 13 (IANS) It was on this day eight years ago that the Indian Parliament was the target of an audacious terror strike in which nine people lost their lives while repulsing the attackers and saved the parliamentarians inside. But a memorial function held at the same place Sunday saw only 11 MPs joining in.
Only 11 MPs, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Leader of Opposition L.K. Advani, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, P.C. Chacko and E.M.S. Nachiapan of the Congress and M.B. Rajesh of the CPI-M, were present at the ceremony, sources said.

Anti-Terrorist Front chief M.S. Bitta criticised the fact that very few MPs attended the event. “Only 11 parliamentarians had gathered today in the Parliament House to remember those who embraced martyrdom to save their (MPs’) lives,” he said.

Also present were Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari and Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar.

Officers and staff of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats joined the leaders to pay tributes to those who died in that attack, which brought India and Pakistan almost to the brink of a war in 2001.

“A blood donation camp was organised in which a large number of officers and staff from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats, officers in the office of Lok Sabha speaker and allied agencies donated blood,” a parliament statement said.

In the attack Dec 13, 2001, five heavily armed gunmen said to be Pakistanis — Islamabad denies the charge — stormed the Indian parliament and opened indiscriminate fire, killing nine people instantly.

The victims included five Delhi Police personnel, a woman constable of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), two parliament security attendants and a gardener. A journalist who was injured died later. All five terrorists were shot dead.

A year later four terrorists, including convicted Afzal Guru, were arrested for the attack and were found guilty after trial.

Guru, who is said to be a Jaish-e-Mohammed militant, was the only accused to be awarded the death penalty. The sentence has been stayed as his mercy petition is pending. He is in Delhi’s Tihar Jail.

Bitta demanded that Guru be hanged immediately.

“Till Afzal and Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab are not hanged, the martyrs and their families will not get justice,” Bitta told reporters at the India Gate war memorial.