The Tamil Nadu state government has decided to free all seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, a move widely welcomed by all major parties in the state.
Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa announced the decision in the state assembly after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday and said the government would release the convicts, who include Eelam Tamils and Tamils from Tamil Nadu, V.Sriharan alias Murugan, A.G. Perarivalan alias Arivu, T. Suthendraraja alias Santhan, Nalini, Robert Payas, Jayakumar and Ravichandran.
"The state government will send the Cabinet’s decision to the Centre. If the Centre fails to respond in three days, my government will release them immediately under the power conferred on it by the Constitution," she said.
There was unity amongst all major parties in welcoming the move, with the leader of the opposition DMK, M Karunanidhi, calling on New Delhi to approve the decision.
“[I] Welcome Tamil Nadu government's decision. Centre should immediately approve. I appreciate Tamil Nadu government for the decision,” he said.
Vaiko Gopalasamy, leader of the MDMK called the move “bold and historic”.
Union minister P Chidambaram, who is a member of the Congress-led government in Delhi, was also not opposed to the move.
"It's the decision of the Supreme Court... I am neither happy nor unhappy. If they walk free, they walk free after 23 years in prison. If the court decides that 22 years of imprisonment is sufficient, then that's it," union minister P Chidambaram, who is from Tamil Nadu, told NDTV.
"I do not see this as cynical politics."
A spokesperson from the Save Tamils Movement, who had been campaigning for the release of the prisoners, told Tamil Guardian that the group welcomed the Chief Minister’s decision. He further added:
“Due to continued protest at least now [the government] realise that nothing can be done without the people’s support. Now the central government should respect the Tamil Nadu people’s sentiments and should set its foreign policy accordingly.”
SC’s clemency for Rajiv Gandhi’s assassins is a rebuff to UPA - FirstPost (19 Feb 2014)
Rajiv Gandhi murder: Tamil Nadu to free plotters - BBC (19 Feb 2014)
Death sentences commuted in Rajiv Gandhi case (18 Feb 2014)
Tamil on death row dreams of Eelam (02 Nov 2011)
Protest in London against India death sentences (31 Aug 2011)
