Sibal doubts BJP's silence over TN Govt's decision to release Rajiv's killers

Union Law Minister Kapil Sibal on Wednesday questioned the silence of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over Tamil Nadu Government's decision to release late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's killers.

"After the decision people of India will have to decide that who is for terrorism and who is against terrorism. The people who said that the terrorists must be punished and hanged immediately during the case of Afzal guru are silent on the entire issue now. Their agenda is political and their ideology is political. If they had been true they would have spoken against it by now," he said.

Meanwhile, law fraternity has welcomed the TN Government's decision.

"It is the right decision. The person had faced death sentence, hanging on his head for such long time. We should have some sympathies with them," said Ram Jethmalani, senior advocate.

Senior Supreme Court lawyer KTS Tulsi seconded Jethmalani's opinion.

"This is a very welcome decision. The decision is perfectly in accord with the spirit. They are entitled to be released if there behavior is good. Under sec 435, if the offenses have been investigated by CBI, then commutation cannot be done unless approved by the Centre," he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had said that the state cabinet would apply powers applicable to it under the Constitution to release the three convicted assassinators of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi-Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan-if the Central Government failed to act on the same within the next three days.

She also said that the other convicts who had been sentenced to life imprisonment, namely, Nalini, Jayakumar, Robert Paes and Ravichandran, would also be released.

Rajiv Gandhi was killed by a suicide bomber at an election rally in Sriperumbedur on May 21, 1991. Fourteen other people also lost their lives in that blast.