No objections if courts release Rajiv case convicts, says Alagiri

Coimbatore: The Congress has no objection to the release of Rajiv case convicts if due process of law was followed, Tamil Nadu Congress committee president K S Alagiri said.
Talking to reporters in the city on Thursday, Alagiri said the party would accept any decision taken by courts on their release. “If courts order the release of seven convicts, we have no objection,” he said.
However, Alagiri decried that there was politics surrounding the release of the seven convicts.Pointing out that there was a clamour demanding the release of the seven convicts citing them as Tamils, Alagiri questioned of the police personnel and others who died in the bomb blast along with Rajiv Gandhi were not Tamils.
He said if the same yardstick was applied to all life convicts and their release was also demanded after they undergo a certain number of years in jail, then Congress would welcome it. But Congress doesn’t accept the politics surrounding the clamour for the release of seven convicts alone, citing their identity as Tamils was not right.
On the release of V K Sasikala, Alagiri said her return from the prison would not bring any political change in TN. “There are reports that BJP is forcing AIADMK to take back Sasikala into that party, if those reports are true, then that is wrong. It has to be decided by AIADMK to include anyone in their party,’’ he said.
Talking about assembly elections, Alagiri said that Congress party was not interested in a third front in Tamil Nadu. He said that a third front doesn't augur well for the state.
Stating that DMK-Congress alliance was going to sweep the polls, Alagiri said that the party hoped to get the number of seats proportionate to its strength, through dialogue with DMK.
Congress scion Rahul Gandhi's visit would boost the prospects of the alliance, he said. “Rahul’s visit is aimed at changing the corruption ridden AIADMK government and put in place a secular government. He is visiting not just to campaign but to interact and know first-hand the issues confronted by the public,’’ he said.
Rahul would be landing in Coimbatore on January 23 and touring five districts- Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode, Karur and Dindigul - campaigning at multiple spots, perhaps the longest and elaborate campaigns the leader had done in TN. Heating up the campaign scene further, EPS would also campaign in Coimbatore and Tirupur during the same time.