New Delhi:Demanding Mohd Afzal's execution, families of the securitymen who died in the 2001 Parliament terror attack today returned the gallantry medals they had received in honour of the slain personnel to the Rashtrapati Bhavan as a mark of protest over the delay in carrying out the sentence.

Accompanied by All India Anti-Terrorist Front (AIATF) chief M S Bitta on the fifth anniversary of the attack, they also expressed shock over Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil's remarks that they were being provoked by the BJP over the Afzal row.

"We did not order execution of Afzal. It's the court that has ordered it. But this vile politics over his death sentence, which is being delayed, has led us to return these medals," Ganga Devi, widow of sub-inspector Nanak Chand, told reporters after emerging out of the presidential palace.

They met the media holding a placard that contained photographs of all the slain security personnel.

The families of the slain securitymen returned the medals to an official at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, saying they should be placed in the National Museum until Afzal, who has been convicted in the case, is executed.

"We will take back these medals after Afzal is hanged," Jayawati, widow of head-constable Vijender Singh, said after returning the medal to a Rashtrapati Bhavan director.

The families rejected Patil's remarks in Parliament about them, which they said have left them sad and shocked.