Tamil Nadu Assembly adopts resolution recommending commutation of death sentence

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa said the resolution took into consideration the overwhelming sentiment of the people of Tamil Nadu who wanted her government to commute the death sentence. File photo

The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Tuesday adopted a resolution recommending commutation of the death sentence awarded to Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan, convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

The resolution, moved by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, urged the President to take into consideration Tamils' sentiments and political leaders' views and commute their death sentence to life imprisonment. She appealed to members to unanimously support the resolution. Barring the Congress, members of all parties supported it.

The DMK members were not present.

The President had rejected the three convicts' mercy petitions, leading to an outcry among political parties and activists. They have been demanding the commutation of the death sentence.

Ms. Jayalalithaa said that though she had expressed her inability to intervene in the issue after the President rejected their mercy petitions, she decided to move the resolution to respect Tamils' sentiments.

On Monday, she said that once President exercised his/her power under Article 72, it would not be open for the State government to seek to exercise similar powers under Article 161 in the same case.