Members of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) staged a protest on Monday demanding the abolition of death penalty of Perarivalan, Santhan and Murugan, the three convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi Assassination case whose clemency petitions were rejected by the President of India.
The protest led by its rural district secretary, M. Ellalan, in the presence of R. Pandiammal, urban district secretary, was staged in front of the Thiruvalluvar statue near the Collectorate. Raising slogans demanding the Central Government to stop the death penalty, the cadres also demanded the immediate intervention of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. The cadres carried placards with slogans, ‘end death penalty in India.'
M. Sangatamilan, principal secretary, Muthukumar Paasarai, highlighted the VCK leader Thol.Thirumavalavan's opinion that there should be a punishment for crimes such as murder but murder as punishment was barbaric. Kalaivanan, State joint secretary, and Thennilavan and Chiruthaikani of the State youth front also participated in the protest.
