Ex-PM assassination: Annamalai accuses Cong. of hypocrisy

Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai on Friday accused the Congress of hypocrisy on the issue of the release of the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convicts.

In a statement, he said the Congress, despite opposing the release of the convicts, continued to remain in an alliance with the DMK. He said the Congress leaders who condemned the release of the convicts did not have the spine to condemn Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who embraced A.G. Perarivalan, one of the convicts, following his release from prison in May.

As for the BJP’s stand on the issue, he said the party abided by the law of the land and understood the Supreme Court’s decision to execute its powers to release the convicts. However, it must be stressed that the released convicts have not been acquitted of their crimes, he said.

Referring to the future of the released convicts, he said the Chief Minister should not make the State a haven for convicts who are not citizens of the country.