'Why no urgency was shown in the case of Rajiv's assassins?'

Panaji, Aug 1: Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh today asked why the government didn't show the kind of urgency shown in Yakub Memon's case when it came to those convicted in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

The Supreme Court last week dismissed the Centre's curative petition against the commutation of death penalty awarded to three convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, granting them a fresh lease of life.

"The Congress party's view is there are no compromises as far as terrorism is concerned. We compliment the Supreme Court for going out of its way to consider the mercy petition of Memon (the 1993 Mumbai blasts case convict)," Singh said here.

But on the other hand the NIA had asked a senior lawyer to "go slow" on the terror cases involving Hindu extremists, Singh said, referring to special public prosecutor Rohini Salian's allegations.

"The urgency which has been shown in the hanging of Yakub Memon...why this urgency has not been shown in the case of Rajiv Gandhi's assassins and also against Bhullar, the Sikh terror accused who was heard thrice by the SC and his death sentence was commuted to life sentence?" he asked.

"For five long years his hanging was delayed. We would like to say strongly that terror should not be linked with any religion, caste or creed," Singh said, adding, "Congress has always been opposing all the political parties which use fundamentalism to polarise the voters."

PTI