Chennai: Justifying the State Cabinet’s decision to recommend the release of all the seven convicts involved in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, State Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar said the decision reflected the ‘feelings’ of the people of Tamil Nadu.
“It is a decision that reflected the feelings of the people of Tamil Nadu. The Governor (I hope) will positively react and facilitate the release of all the seven,” Mr Jayakumar said.
On September 9, the State Cabinet which met under the Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, recommended to the Governor Banwarilal Purohit to release of all the seven serving life terms for assassinating the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, under Article 161 (Power of Governor to suspend or pardon) of the constitution. On Saturday the Governor stated that he had not recommended anything to the Centre.
Meanwhile, as the expectations among various sections over the release of seven Rajiv Gandhi assassins: Perarivalan, Murugan, Santhan, Nalini, Robert Pious, Jayakumar and Ravichandran, are getting stronger, the BJP has opposed the release and said the Governor should go by the rule book.
Speaking to reporters after participating in the Swachhata Hi Seva Movement in Nagercoil (headquarters of Kanyakumari district) on Saturday, Union Minister of State for Finance and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan said the Governor will take an appropriate decision after consulting legal experts on their release.
“The affected family does not want them to be released,” Mr. Radhakrishnan claimed.
His party colleague and state president Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan too expressed in similar vein and said the seven members should not be released.
