Swamy demands extradition of Prabhakaran

New Delhi, May 20: On the eve of the 16th anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi's assassination by an LTTE human bomber, Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy today lashed out at the UPA government for its failure to bring to book LTTE supremo V Prabhakaran, who plotted the crime.

Mr Swamy said it was a 'national shame' that despite the Supreme Court holding that the assassination was carried out on the order of Prabhakaran, the UPA government ''has not only bothered to bring him to book, but also shamelessly entered into an electoral alliance with those parties in Tamil Nadu which openly support the LTTE and praise him.'' He also pointed out that the LTTE supremo had been declared a ''proclaimed offender'' by the trial court, on the basis of which the Interpol had issued a Red Corner notice.

He also expressed surprise over the rationale to hand over the maintenance of the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial at Sriperumbudur to a priovate contractor who had not paid wages to the staff. ''Hence the memorial looks pathetic with rats and lizards crawling all over the place,'' he said.

''The Maino Gandhi family should be condemned for this carelessness of behaviour towards Rajiv'e memory, on whose legacy of martyrdom they are enjoying offices of power today,'' Dr Swamy said in a statement.

The Janata Party leader further said the UPA government owed an explanation to the nation for its 'long silence' on the extradition of Prabhakaran.

UNI