Rajiv Gandhi case: Subramanian Swamy slams Jaya

New Delhi, Feb 21: Former Union minister and BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Thursday slammed the Tamil Nadu government's decision to release seven convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The Union government should take a strict stand on the issue, he said.

Jayalalithaa's letter to the Centre asking them to respond within three days or they would release the convicts was illegal, Swamy said. "The state government has no such right. Only the central government can do so as they have been convicted under a central act," he said.

Prime minister should send a reply to Jayalalithaa under Article 256 of the Constitution of India and then threaten to use Article 356 to dismiss the government, said Swamy adding thatsuch a response from the government is essential as the anti-national sentiment in Tamil Nadu is being encouraged by Jaya's act.

The accused had expressed pride in carrying out the assassination in the court, said Swamy.

Swamy also slammed Congress leader Sonia Gandhi for writing to the president to commute death sentence of the convicts. "If she was compassionate why did she not make such a demand for Satwant Singh, who killed Indira Gandhi or for Dhananjay Chatterjee, who kept begging for mercy for 20 years," he said.

Oneindia News