PMK chief seeks PM's intervention for release of 7 convicts in Rajiv case

Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S Ramadoss on Thursday (October 10) met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and sought his intervention for securing the release of seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

Ramadoss, accompanied by Anbumani, who is his son and a Rajya Sabha MP, had a 20-minute meeting with the Prime Minister in the national capital. The meeting was “cordial and constructive”, according to a statement released by the party.

Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in May 1991 during a poll rally at Sriperumbudur after a suicide bomber of the banned LTTE blew herself up.

In his letter submitted to Modi, the PMK chief said that the Supreme Court had last year allowed the Tamil Nadu government to decide on releasing the seven convicts – Nalini, Santhan, Murugan, Perarivalan, Ravichandran, Robert Payas, and Jayakumar.

Also read: Another convict in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case seeks parole

Subsequently, the state government had adopted a cabinet resolution on September 9, 2018, recommending Governor Banwarilal Purohit for their release. However, his office was procrastinating on this matter, Ramadoss said.

“Tamils all over the world expected that the Governor would take a decision shortly. But even one year and one month after receiving the letter, the office of the Governor of Tamil Nadu has not taken any decision and is procrastinating on this matter. This has disappointed and distressed millions of Tamils all over the world,” he said.

“It is rather unfair,” he said, adding that the seven convicts were in prison for the last 28 years and keeping them in jail any further without any strong reason would be a serious violation of human rights.

The former prime minister’s widow Sonia and son Rahul have “categorically said that they have no objections to the release of seven Tamils,” he added.

Also read: Rajiv Gandhi assassination convict Nalini gets 30 days parole

Referring to reports about the release of a few prisoners in Punjab on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, he said, “We request that the same kindness be extended to the Tamils in jails.”

Ramadoss also lauded Modi for his recent remarks praising the Tamil language in the US as well as during his visit here last week.

The PMK leader, whose party is an ally of the BJP, further urged Modi to withdraw the proposed hydrocarbon extraction projects in the state and sought the linking of the Cauvery and Godavari rivers.