NEW DELHI: Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru , who was hanged recently, may have painted a picture of himself as a man far removed from fundamentalism while talking to jail officials but in his conversations with Indian Mujahideen accused, he rooted for jihad and fidayeen attacks across the country.

According to reports, Guru had told jail officials in Tihar that he was not in favour of Kashmir’s secession from India and actually wanted to rid the country of corruption. However, interrogation of an Indian Mujahideen accused lodged in Tihar has revealed that with him, Guru argued exactly the opposite.

IM operative Farooq alias Aftab Alam, who was recently arrested by National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the 13/7 Mumbai blasts, revealed during interrogation that Guru sympathized with the cause of Indian Mujahideen and lamented that Kashmir did not have enough “courageous” men to earn it “azaadi”.

He argued that even if the Valley could produce 200 fidayeen who could fan across India and execute attacks, India would be forced to grant independence to Kashmir.

The utterances would come as bit of a surprise to those who knew Guru in his young days. Guru was known to be a man of softer virtues who in his youth loved ghazals and recited Mirza Ghalib’s poetry. He even named his son after the renowned poet.

The revelation was made when Farooq asserted the importance of jihad during interrogation and digressed to talking about Guru and how he too supported the cause. “One does not know whether Guru had kept in touch with other Indian Mujahideen accused in Tihar but Farooq claims to have met him several times and had conversations with him,” an official privy to his interrogation said.

During interrogation, Farooq, who was first arrested by Delhi Police in December 2011 from Bihar, said it was his duty to perform jihad and if he didn’t, he would be condemned to hell. Refusing to cooperate in the investigation, he said if he ever came out, he would continue to explode bombs.

While arguing this, he happened to mention Guru who he said supported the Indian Mujahideen cause and expressed sadness at the fact that Kashmiris were not determined enough to get independence. “Farooq claims Guru said Kashmir needed to produce just 200 fidayeen who would execute attacks across the country and then India would have no choice but to grant Kashmir azadi,” the official said.

Over a dozen Indian Mujahideen accused are languishing in Tihar after Delhi Police busted IM’s India chief Yasin Bhatkal’s Bihar module in 2011.