Mani Shankar Aiyar against hanging Rajiv Gandhi killers

KUMBAKONAM: Strongly arguing for abolition of death sentence in India, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Mani Shankar Aiyar on Saturday said the three death row convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case should not be hanged but held in prison for their entire life.

139 countries have done away with capital punishment and last year 67 convicts were hanged in 22 countries but none in India, Aiyar said at a party meeting here.

Describing the assassination of the former Prime Minister as a "heinous crime and grave sin", he said instead of being hanged, the three - Santhan, Murugan and Perarivalan - should be made to spend rest of their lives in prison.

"If they get life sentence and are released they may kill another chief minister or prime minister. So for the sin committed by them, they should be ordered to be kept inside the prison till the end of their lives," he said.

Madras High Court has last week stayed the execution of the three convicts fixed for September 9 after their mercy pleas were rejected by President Pratibha Patil.

Speaking at the meeting of local Congress functionaries convened to discuss about the coming local body elections, Aiyar noted that youth and educated should be given an opportunity by the party to contest in the election.

Referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's efforts to galvanise the Youth Congress, he said youngsters, including women, should take active part in politics.