Parties ask state to act fast on Rajiv convicts release

Reacting to the apex court’s order directing the Governor to consider the mercy petition of AG Perarivalan, one of the seven life convicts in the case, state Law Minister CVe Shanmugam said the government wanted to release all of them.

“It is the stand and desire of late Amma (Jayalalithaa) that all the seven convicts should be released,” he told reporters. Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami will take a decision, he said.

Perarivalan’s mother Arputhammal expressed joy over the ruling.

Welcoming the court order, DMK president MK Stalin said a Cabinet meeting should be convened and a resolution adopted facilitating the release of all the seven convicts. Noting that late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi had appealed for their release several times, he said “All of them should be released immediately.”

Advocate Prabhu, who represented the case in Supreme Court, said that the release contemplated was under Article 161 of the Constitution wherein either consultation or concurrence of the Central government was not necessary. 

TNCC chief Su Thirunavukkarasar, however, struck a different note. When asked if he welcomed the court ruling, he said, ‘no,’ but added that ‘let it happen according to law.’

“The death of Rajiv Gandhi in Tamil Nadu soil is still a wound in the hearts of the people,” he told reporters in New Delhi. 

MDMK general secretary Vaiko said, “The direction of Supreme Court is heartening but all seven had lost their valuable and productive phase of their life,” said Vaiko. Now it is up to the state government to call the meeting of ministers and to pass a resolution on their release. 

K Balakrishnan, CPM state secretary said that the verdict of the Supreme Court is significant as it had reinstated the rights of the state government in deciding the release of the seven convicts. “The state government should not wait for any procedure and should take immediate steps in recommending their release to the Governor,” he said. 

PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss too urged the government to immediately release the seven convicts.