Chennai: DMK President M Karunanidhi on Thursday
demanded that the Tamil Nadu Cabinet pass a unanimous
resolution urging President Pratibha Patil to reconsider the
clemency petitions of three death row convicts in the Rajiv
Gandhi assassination case.
"I congratulate them (AIADMK Government) for taking the
initiative in passing a resolution in the Assembly after
witnessing an upsurge among Tamils. But it is important that
the cabinet pass a similar resolution," he told reporters on
the sidelines of a private function.
The state Assembly on August 30 adopted unanimously a
resolution moved by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa urging the
President to reconsider rejection of the clemency petitions of
Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan, facing the gallows.
After the rejection of the mercy petitions, prison
authorities had fixed September 9 as the date for the
execution of the three, lodged in Vellore Central Jail, but
the Madras High Court on a petition from the convicts has
stayed for eight weeks their hanging.
The convicts have cited "undue" delay in disposing their
mercy pleas as ground for commutation of the capital
punishment.
Jayalalithaa had charged Karunanidhi with adopting double
standards by taking up the issue now while it was his cabinet
that had recommended to the Governor in April, 2000 to reject
the mercy petitions of the three.
Asked about the continuing arrests of DMK men on
land-grabbing charges, Karunanidhi said the police action
reminded him of Emergency.
Alleging that the arrests of DMK men were "well-planned",
he said whether this would affect the party`s prospects in the
coming local body polls would be known after the elections.
PTI
