Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Saturday said the debate over the death penalty should not be raked up when a hanging is on the cards, adding that the best time to discuss the matter is when there is no such punishment on the horizon.
"I believe that when some hanging is on the cards; that is not the best time to discuss it because there is too much emotional upsurge. The best time to discuss these matters is when there is nothing on the horizon by way of a hanging," Khurshid told ANI.
The former External Affairs Minister cautioned that the discussion over the issue has to be responsible and careful.
"We are amongst very few countries in the world which still has a death sentence. I think India can't stand alone in continuing with it indefinitely," said Khurshid.
"But obviously, there are special considerations in India. The loss that terrorism has caused us and the possibility of further attacks on the country, therefore we have to be very careful and responsible in this discussion," he added.
According to reports, BJP MP Varun Gandhi had earlier stated that capital punishment only legalises revenge and, therefore, ought to be done away with.
He also argued that the death penalty has historically enabled tyranny and that its utility is proving to be anachronistic.
