‘If those guilty of...’: Congress slams Centre over Rajiv Gandhi killer release
‘If those guilty of terrorism and assassination of a Prime Minister are going to be released like this, then who will uphold the majesty and the integrity of law in this country?’ said the Congress after the release of AG Perarivalan.
NEW DELHI:
NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday criticised the Supreme Court decision to release AG Perarivalan, one of the seven convicted for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, saying it was deeply saddening.
“The decision of the Supreme Court deeply saddens us… If those guilty of terrorism and assassination of a Prime Minister are going to be released like this, then who will uphold the majesty and the integrity of law in this country?” Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said.
Surjewala’s comments came hours after a top court bench headed by justice L Nageswara Rao ordered the release of Perarivalan, who served over 30 years in jail in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, based on the “satisfactory conduct, medical records, educational qualifications achieved in jail, and pendency of this mercy petition filed under Article 161 before TN Governor since December 2015.”
Surjewala said the then AIADMK-BJP-led government in Tamil Nadu, in 2018, recommended the release of Gandhi’s assassins. This matter was then passed on to the then governor of Tamil Nadu who passed it on to the President of India. Since no “accept or reject” decision was made on the recommendation from both their ends, the Supreme Court released Perarivalan. “Is this your duplicity and double-speak on terrorism? Are you going to be complicit in the release of a terrorist and murderers of the former Prime Minister of the country?” he questioned the Modi-led central government.