Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s gesture of hugging AG Perarivalan, one of the convicts related to the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case who was freed by the Supreme Court recently, at the Chennai aiport has caused major turmoil in the Secular Progressive Alliance, especially the Congress party. The SC had on Wednesday, May 18 released Perarivalan by invoking Articles 142 and 162 of the Constitution. While party leaders, human rights activists and the general public welcomed the verdict, Stalin called it a historic judgment that ensured the state’s rights. The CM also met Perarivalan and his mother Arputham Ammal the same day.
“I can understand the CM’s joy as he sees this as a verdict for self-governance and ensures the state’s rights. But I want the DMK government to be very clear about its stand on the convicts, and I urge the CM to consider the feelings of the people who lost their loved ones in the bomb blast,” Congress MLA Vijayadharani told TNM.
Calling the CM’s act shameful, Americai V Narayanan, an All India Congress Committee member, said, “Instead of consoling and being supportive of the family members of the Tamils who were killed in the blast, the elected Chief Minister is praising the perpetrators. Instead of supporting the victims, the party is supporting the convicted killers and setting a wrong example. Is this the Dravidian model?”
Pointing out that the court did not rule that Perarivalan is innocent, MLA Vijayadharani said, “Nothing can change the fact that he was convicted, the court has released him on humanitarian grounds since he spent three decades in prison. On the same basis, we Congress party members also forgive him,” adding, “Perarivalan should thank the President, Governor, and Rahul Gandhi too.”
“I would like to ask one question to the party leaders and human rights activists who welcomed this verdict. Have they ever acted this way towards the victims of a bomb blast, to children who lost their parents, to people who were injured and still live with the support of others? When are you going to talk about the human rights of those people?” Vijayadharani asked.
30 ஆண்டுகளுக்கும் மேலான சிறைவாசத்தை வென்று திரும்பியுள்ள சகோதரர் பேரறிவாளன் அவர்களைச் சந்தித்துக் கட்டியணைத்து நெகிழ்ந்தேன்!
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) May 18, 2022
சகோதரர் பேரறிவாளன் தனக்கென இல்லற வாழ்க்கையை அமைத்துக்கொண்டு மகிழ்ச்சியாக வாழ வேண்டுமென அவரையும் அற்புதம்மாள் அவர்களையும் கேட்டுக் கொண்டேன். pic.twitter.com/M0sOXsYkop
“My mom, Dr Parvathy, who was a gynaecologist, lost her hearing in the same bomb blast. She had to stop her practice after that. No one talked about the victims till now, and we’re feeling utter discomfort when a convict comes to the public space with huge support from the Chief Minister,” the MLA said.
When asked about the CM’s efforts in securing the release of the six other convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, Americai V Narayanan said, “There is no difference between those who celebrate the killer of Mahatma Gandhi, Godse, and those who celebrate the killers of Rajiv Gandhi and the 16 others who died in the blast. Those who celebrate the killer of Mahatma Gandhi have a brutal majority in the Parliament and those who celebrate the killers of Rajiv Gandhi and 16 Tamil people have a brutal majority in the Assembly. The brutal majority makes them a brute. I hope it changes.”
“It’s shameful that the Congress cannot stand and fight to get justice for its own leader [Rajiv Gandhi], how is the party going to support the common man and the downtrodden?” he asked.
“When a DMK member’s shirt was forcibly removed, the party made sure that the accused opposition MLA and former minister was kept in custody for three weeks. That’s the party,” he said, referring to former minister Jeyakumar attacking the DMK member at a local body poll. “We are a weak party and we don’t have that fighting spirit that is required for a political party.”
Stating that the Chief Minister should have avoided the act, Ramasubramani, a senior journalist and political analyst, said, “The SC facilitated Perarivalan’s release because he spent 31 years of his life in prison and the court extended its support to the state government for his release based on humanitarian grounds, that is perfectly alright. But after the release, the CM shouldn’t have done this. Because it doesn’t go down well with people like me who supported Perarivalan’s release.”
“There is heartburn among the Congress cadres because of the CM’s behaviour. But leaders from the state as well as in Delhi are silent on this issue. Stalin is provoking the Congress but surprisingly the party leadership, especially the Delhi high command, has refused to get provoked. This is turning out to be an interesting situation,” Ramasubramani added.
“Stalin is getting back at the Congress as it withdrew its support to the IK Gujral government after the Jain Commission report noted the involvement of the DMK government in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, back in 1997. Based on the report’s recommendation, the Congress demanded the government dismiss all the DMK ministers but IK Gujral refused to do so. Later, the Congress toppled the government. Now it is Stalin’s time to take sweet revenge,” he said. The Jain Commission interim report detailed the events that led to the assassination of then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in Tamil Nadu's Sriperumbudur in 1991.
When asked about the impact on the DMK-Congress alliance, Ramasubramani said the next election is two years away. “Even a week is a long period in politics. So there is no damage to the alliance as of now, at the same time Stalin’s behaviour cannot be ignored as he did that (hugging Perarivalan) with a clear and calculated political motive.”
When TNM reached out to one of the DMK party leaders, he said he didn’t want to comment on the matter, adding that Congress party members were expressing their loyalty by making it an issue.