"Release of Rajiv case convicts a victory for AIADMK"

The Supreme Court setting free all the six convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case is a victory for the contiuous legal steps taken by the previous party-led regimes, Tamil Nadu's main opposition AIADMK said on Friday.

Citing legal steps taken for the release of Rajiv Gandhi case convicts during the regime of previous governments (20011-21) led by the party, senior leader D Jayakumar said it is a victory for the AIADMK. However, now the DMK government is attempting to take credit for it, he told reporters.

A former minister, Jayakumar said the DMK regime (1996-2001) commuted the death sentence of only Nalini into life term and did not take any steps in respect of others.

It is the legal efforts of late leader J Jayalalithaa and former Chief Minister K Palaniswami (2017-21) that has eventually culminated in the release of all convicts, the party said.

The AIADMK government took a Cabinet decision in 2018 to release all convicts and forwarded the recommendation to then Governor Banwarilal Purohit.

Most of the Tamil Nadu parties have welcomed the court verdict.