'Party Doesn't Agree With Sonia Gandhi': Congress On Release Of Rajiv Gandhi's Killers

In 2000, the sentence of Nalini Sriharan, one of the convicts, was reduced to a life term on the intervention of Sonia Gandhi.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi

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The Congress on Friday expressed its disappointment over the Supreme Court's order directing the premature release of six convicts serving life sentence in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, saying it even "disagreed with Sonia Gandhi" on the matter. Addressing a press conference, Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the Congress would seek legal remedies.

When asked why Congress' reaction was different than Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, Singhvi said, "Sonia Gandhi, above all, is entitled to her personal views. But with greatest respect, party doesn't agree and has made our view clear."

Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on the night of May 21, 1991, at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu by a woman suicide bomber identified as Dhanu, at a poll rally.

In 2000, the sentence of Nalini Sriharan, one of the convicts, was reduced to a life term on the intervention of Sonia Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi's wife. Sonia had earlier urged the court to show clemency to Nalini, who was pregnant when she was arrested, NDTV reported.

Rajiv Gandhi's daugher Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had also met Nalini in Vellore jail in 2008.

"Rajiv Gandhi's assassination was not like any other crime. This is a national issue, not a local murder," Singhvi said.

"According to us, sovereignty, integrity, identity of the nation is involved in a PM's assassination sitting or former. That's perhaps why Central Govt has also never agreed with the state government's view in this regard," Singhvi further said.

READ | SC Orders Release of Six Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Accused Including Nalini, RP Ravichandran

In a statement, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the decision of the Supreme Court was "totally unacceptable and completely erroneous".

"The Congress party criticises it clearly and finds it wholly untenable. It is most unfortunate that the Supreme Court has not acted in consonance with the spirit of India on this issue," he said.

Nalini, Ravichandran, Santhan, Murugan, Perarivalan, Robert Payas and Jayakumar were sentenced to life terms in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

The Supreme Court order came after Nalini Sriharan and Ravichandran sought premature release.

Both of them had challenged a June 17 order of the Madras High Court, which rejected their pleas for early release. Nalini and Ravichandran cited the apex court judgment ordering the release of co-convict Perarivalan.