JOIN USRajiv Gandhi case convicts are murderers, says Tamil Nadu Congress; to hold protest on Thursday
Refusing to “criticise” the Supreme Court judgment on the release of A G Perarivalan, the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee on Wednesday reiterated that all the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case are “murderers” and “not innocent.”
The party cadres will hold an hour-long peaceful protest at “important places” in the state on Thursday by covering their mouth using a white cloth to voice their opposition to violence. The cadres will hold placards that will read, “we oppose violence; killing someone is not the solution for difference of opinion.”
In a statement, TNCC chief K S Alagiri said the same Supreme Court which pronounced the seven persons guilty has now ordered the release of Perarivalan citing “some legalities.” “We don’t want to criticise the Supreme Court’s verdict. At the same time, we want to place it on record that the convicts are murderers and not innocent people,” Alagiri said.
TNCC, despite its alliance with DMK, has been opposed to the release of the seven convicts, even as Rajiv Gandhi’s family, including Rahul Gandhi, have said they would respect the court order.
“It (Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination) has two aspects. While one was personal which we have dealt with, the other was the legal course, which has to take its (own) course. Whatever course the legal issue takes, we are happy with it. We are quite forgiving people, we do not have animosity or hatred towards anybody, and it is for the courts to decide (on their release),” Rahul had said in 2019.
Alagiri asked: “People say the convicts are in jail for 25 years and that they should be released. There are 100s of Tamils who are languishing in jails in Tamil Nadu for the past 25 to 30 years and why there is no campaign to release them. Are they not Tamils? Rajiv killers are the only Tamils?”
The issue of seven convicts is a highly emotive issue in Tamil Nadu with almost all political parties – barring Congress and BJP – endorsing the decision to release them from jail. The AIADMK government had in 2018 passed the resolution and sent it to the Governor, who told the Supreme Court after two years that he cannot take a call on it.
Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by LTTE suicide bomber at Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991 before he was to address an election rally.