CHENNAI: Noting that the decision of the President on the death penalty may have a political motivation, PMK founder S Ramadoss urged the Central government to roll back a proposal to amend the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

"The Central government has announced that the decision of the President on the mercy petition is final and cannot be appealed against in the Supreme Court. An amendment has been made to the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). This will take away the right of mistakenly convicted and convicts who wish to reform to live," Ramadoss said in a statement.

He added that the President would not only delay the decision on mercy petitions but sometimes the decision may be motivated by politics.

"There are instances in which the Supreme Court has cancelled death penalties. The amendment will take away the opportunity," he opined.

"As the death penalty has been abolished in 150 countries, PMK's stand is that India too abolish the death penalty. At a time when we must go progressive by abolishing the death penalty, the decision will take us backward. The power to take a final decision on the death penalty should lie with the apex court. The Central government should drop the decision to make an amendment," he urged.