New Delhi, Feb 19: Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said he was saddened that all the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case were being set free by the Tamil Nadu government, a decision condemned by Congress as "irresponsible, perverse and populist".
As he came out against the Jayalalithaa government's decision on the assassins of his father, the Congress Vice President also asked that what should the common man expect when the prime minister's killers are being freed.
The views of the Congress were endorsed by the Union government with the Minister of State for Home RPN Singh describing the decision as "wrong and extremely unfortunate".
The Congress also insisted that there is a fundamental difference between commutation of a sentence and release or remission.
Rahul, who was 21 when his father 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 freed," he said in an emotional outburst, while noting that the assassins of his father who worked for the rights of the people were being set free.
Rahul said that if a Prime Minister who sacrificed his life for the nation does not get justice how will a common man get justice, a remark which struck a chord with the gathering at Purab village here in Jagdishpur in Uttar Pradesh.
"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, as the gathering gave a round of applause.
"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.
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.
Slamming AIADMK government's decision, AICC spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said, "Any perverse decision is also liable for judicial scrutiny" but remained evasive when asked whether Congress will ask Centre to approach court in this matter.
Singhvi said every state has powers of remission but these are the powers, which are to be exercised by "Constitutional functionaries" in the light of rules and regulations and the spirit of any judicial order.
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