Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Wednesday told the Assembly that everyone was hoping that the Governor will take a ‘good decision’ on the release of the seven life convicts in former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination case.
Replying to DMK Deputy Floor Leader Duraimurugan, who sought the release of Perarivalan and the other convicts, Mr. Palaniswami said the AIADMK government was clear that they should be released.
The State government had sent its recommendation to the Governor, he said.
“We are expecting, like everyone else, that they will be released. It is because we have an interest in releasing them that we have undertaken this step. We also gave them (Nalini and Perarivalan) parole. We are very clear that they should be released, and have sent our recommendation to the Governor,” he said.
Mr. Duraimurugan appealed to the government to release them on humanitarian grounds and “put pressure” on the Governor.
“For 28 years, they have been in prison. The Chief Minister should use his influence and power, meet the Governor and urge him to release them,” he said.
Law Minister C.Ve. Shanmugam said there was “no other opinion” in the government than that the convicts should be freed.
“Whatever powers are given to the State government under the Constitution, we have exercised that, and have passed a resolution and given it to the Governor,” he said.
Mr. Duraimurugan compared the case with that of the Dharmapuri bus burning incident, in which three life convicts were released prematurely by the government.
However, Mr. Shanmugam countered his argument, saying there was no hidden agenda behind their (Dharmapuri convicts’) release and that they had served more than 10 years in prison and were released on the occasion of the birth centenary of former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran.
