05 January 2006 :

the Indian government is yet to take a decision on the abolition of the death penalty and is going by the Supreme Court’s guideline that it be awarded in only in the rarest of rare cases, said Union law minister H R Bhardwaj. "My personal view is that death penalty should be retained in the statute," the minister added. The minister’s comments came on the heels of President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam’s recent advice to the home ministry that humanitarian aspects be considered while dealing with mercy petitions. The President’s power to grant pardon is sovereign power, and it has to be exercised keeping national interest in view, said Bhardwaj. Citing the ongoing international debate on death penalty, he said the government "favours a debate".