Rahul saddened by release of Rajiv killers

Amethi: Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said he was sad over the Tamil Nadu government's decision to set free all the seven people convicted in the assassination of his father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Congress party and the Centre too echoed Rahul's views and expressed displeasure over Jayalalithaa government's move.

Though Jayalalithaa mentioned that the state government has written to the Centre, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said that 'no letter has come from TN government on its move to release the convicts'.

MoS Home R.P.N. Singh termed the decision as 'extremely unfortunate' endorsing Rahul Gandhi's remarks.

Commenting on the issue, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said," The news of Rajiv Gandhi's assassins being treated with compassion is disturbing. Killing PM of India is a serious offence."

Rajiv killers to be freed in 3 days

Rahul Gandhi, the Congress Vice President, who was 21 when Rajiv was killed by a suicide bomber at an election rally in Sriperumbedur, near Chennai, on May 21, 1991, at the same time said he was not in favour of death penalty.

"I am sad the killers are being released," Rahul said with a tinge of emotion, while noting that the assassins of his father, who worked for the rights of the people, were being set free.

Rahul also said that if a Prime Minister, who sacrificed his life for the nation, does not get justice how will a common man get justice.

"If some person kills the PM and is released then how will a common man will get justice. It's a point to ponder," he said while addressing a gathering at Purab village here in Jagdishpur.

"In this country even the PM does not get justice. This is my heart's voice," he said.

Rahul said he does not believe in capital punishment as it won't bring his father back.

"I don't believe in capital punishment as it won't bring my father back. But it is not just a matter of my father or the family, it is the matter of the country," he added.

Tamil Nadu Government on Wednesday decided to set free within three days all the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case after the Supreme Court commuted the death penalty of three assassins.

Besides Santhan, Murugan, the husband of Nalini, Perarivalan, who earned a major reprieve from the apex court yesterday which spared them from gallows, Nalini, Robert Pious, Jayakumar and Ravichandran would walk out from prison.

Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, who took the decision for early release of the Rajiv killers at an emergency Cabinet meeting convened this morning over the issue, made a suo motu announcement in the state assembly.