Demand for release of Rajiv Gandhi assassination convicts made on humanitarian grounds: Karunanidhi

CHENNAI: DMK president M Karunanidhi today said the demand for release of three convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case after commuting their death sentence to life by the Supreme court had nothing to do with any political party but was a plea made on humanitarian grounds.

Responding to reporters' queries on Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's remarks against Tamil Nadu government's decision to release seven convicts including Murugan, Santhan, Perarivalan and Nalini, Karunanidhi said his party was opposed to death penalty and had adopted a resolution at the DMK state conference in Tiruchirappalli on Sunday.

"(It is) not about Congress, not about any other party. It was a demand made on humanitarian grounds", he said adding that with 140 countries having abolished capital punishment, his party wanted India to follow suit.

Commenting on Jayalalithaa government's decision to release the convicts, Rahul Gandhi had said he was "saddened" that his father's killers were being set free.

"If a Prime Minister's killers can be released, what kind of justice should the common man expect? The Prime Minister of our country was killed, I am sad the killers are being released," he had said.