The six convicts serving life sentences for the assassination of India’s former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi were set free by the country’s Supreme Court on Friday.&nbsp;The apex court used one of its earlier judgment&nbsp;of releasing&nbsp;AG Perarivalan, one of the co-convicts,&nbsp;to release the remaining prisoners. &nbsp;

On May 18, the court invoked its extraordinary power under Article 142 of the Constitution to order the release of Perarivalan, who had served over 30 years in jail.&nbsp;

A bench of Justices B R Gavai and B V Nagarathna said the judgment of Perarivalan is equally applicable in their matter.&nbsp;

"In so far as the applicants before us are concerned, their death sentences were commuted to life on account of delay...We direct that all the appellants are deemed to have served their sentence...The applicants are thus directed to be released unless required in any other case," the bench said.&nbsp;

Two of the convicts—Nalini and Ravichandran—had approached the Supreme Court seeking premature release, citing the&nbsp;Perarivalan judgment.&nbsp;

Both had challenged a June 17 order of the Madras High Court, which rejected their pleas for early release.&nbsp;

Nalini, Ravichandran, Santhan, Murugan, Perarivalan, Robert Payas and Jayakumar were sentenced to life terms in the case.&nbsp;

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On May 21, 1991, the former prime minister was assassinated at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu by a woman suicide bomber, identified as Dhanu, during an election rally.&nbsp;

In May 1999, the SC had upheld death sentences to four convicts Perarivalan, Murugan, Santhan and Sriharan.&nbsp;

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But in 2014, the apex court commuted the death sentence of Perarivalan to life imprisonment along with those of Santhan and Murugan on grounds of delay in deciding their mercy petitions. &nbsp;

Nalini's death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 2001 on the consideration that she has a daughter.&nbsp;

The Tamil Nadu government has repeatedly supported the early release of convicts and on occasion persuaded the central government to heed their request.&nbsp;

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The six convicts serving life sentences for the assassination of India’s former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi were set free by the country’s Supreme Court on Friday.

The six convicts serving life sentences for the assassination of India’s former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi were set free by the country’s Supreme Court on Friday. The apex court used one of its earlier judgment of releasing AG Perarivalan, one of the co-convicts, to release the remaining prisoners. On May 18, the court invoked its extraordinary power under Article 142 of the Constitution to order the release of Perarivalan, who had served over 30 years in jail. A bench of Justices B R Gavai and B V Nagarathna said the judgment of Perarivalan is equally applicable in their matter. "In so far as the applicants before us are concerned, their death sentences were commuted to life on account of delay...We direct that all the appellants are deemed to have served their sentence...The applicants are thus directed to be released unless required in any other case," the bench said. Two of the convicts—Nalini and Ravichandran—had approached the Supreme Court seeking premature release, citing the Perarivalan judgment. Both had challenged a June 17 order of the Madras High Court, which rejected their pleas for early release. Nalini, Ravichandran, Santhan, Murugan, Perarivalan, Robert Payas and Jayakumar were sentenced to life terms in the case. Also read | G20 Summit: PM Modi to hold bilateral with French prez, UK PM On May 21, 1991, the former prime minister was assassinated at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu by a woman suicide bomber, identified as Dhanu, during an election rally. In May 1999, the SC had upheld death sentences to four convicts Perarivalan, Murugan, Santhan and Sriharan. Also read | India to use first green bonds to finance climate projects: Finance minister But in 2014, the apex court commuted the death sentence of Perarivalan to life imprisonment along with those of Santhan and Murugan on grounds of delay in deciding their mercy petitions. Nalini's death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 2001 on the consideration that she has a daughter. The Tamil Nadu government has repeatedly supported the early release of convicts and on occasion persuaded the central government to heed their request. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Rajiv Gandhi assassination case: Supreme Court frees six killers of India's former prime minister

Over the last few days, Ministers in Tamil Nadu have expressed hope and spoken of the possibilities regarding the release of seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.&nbsp;&nbsp;While this can be seen as comments that are coming close on the heels of Assembly polls due in 2021, there are also some indications that the Ministers’ hopes on Governor Banwarilal Purohit may bear fruit.&nbsp;

On Friday, Law Minister C.Ve Shanmugam said that there was a possibility of the seven convicts getting released without further delay.

Also see| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-nalini-sriharan-and-her-role-in-rajiv-gandhis-assasination-314863">In pics: Nalini Sriharan and her role in Rajiv Gandhi's assasination</a>

“The honorable Governor will announce a good decision soon” he said. On Thursday, speaking in Coimbatore, Chief Minister K Palaniswami said that their government had already forwarded the Assembly resolution regarding the release to the Governor and it was for him to decide.&nbsp;

Interestingly, these statements have come shortly after Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit visited Delhi to meet the Prime Minister, Home Minister, MoS Prime Minister’s Office, and the Vice President of India to discuss what the Governor’s office referred to as, “important issues related to Tamil Nadu”.

On November 3, a Supreme Court bench expressed unhappiness over the fact that the recommendation for the release of Rajiv Gandhi convicts sent to the Governor by the State government was pending for over two years.&nbsp;

Earlier, it was informed that the reason behind the delay from the Governor’s end was owing to the probe of the Multi-Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA) which is looking into the larger conspiracy behind the Rajiv Gandhi Assassination case. However, the Court had held that the MDMA probe should not have any impact on the Governor’s decision to pardon the convicts.

Nalini’s advocate Radhakrishnan is optimistic about the release of the seven convicts.&nbsp;

Speaking to WION, he said, “State cabinet has passed a resolution in September 2018 and it is binding on the Governor. All seven of them should have been released on 9&nbsp;September 2018. There are 3 earlier cases that were adjudged by a Constitutional bench, where it was ruled that the Governor has no discretion under Article 161. The Governor merely is a signing authority. Even without the Governor’s assent the State Government can release them”. He adds that their release is likely by the end of the year, also stating that cases filed by Perarivalan and Nalini are pending in the Supreme Court and Madras High Court respectively.

Seven people including Nalini and her husband were convicted by the special TADA court for their role in the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on May 21&nbsp;by an LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) suicide bomber during an election rally in Sriperumbudur, in the outskirts of Chennai.&nbsp;

Over the last few days, Ministers in Tamil Nadu have expressed hope and spoken of the possibilities regarding the release of seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

Over the last few days, Ministers in Tamil Nadu have expressed hope and spoken of the possibilities regarding the release of seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. While this can be seen as comments that are coming close on the heels of Assembly polls due in 2021, there are also some indications that the Ministers’ hopes on Governor Banwarilal Purohit may bear fruit. On Friday, Law Minister C.Ve Shanmugam said that there was a possibility of the seven convicts getting released without further delay. Also see| In pics: Nalini Sriharan and her role in Rajiv Gandhi's assasination “The honorable Governor will announce a good decision soon” he said. On Thursday, speaking in Coimbatore, Chief Minister K Palaniswami said that their government had already forwarded the Assembly resolution regarding the release to the Governor and it was for him to decide. Interestingly, these statements have come shortly after Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit visited Delhi to meet the Prime Minister, Home Minister, MoS Prime Minister’s Office, and the Vice President of India to discuss what the Governor’s office referred to as, “important issues related to Tamil Nadu”. On November 3, a Supreme Court bench expressed unhappiness over the fact that the recommendation for the release of Rajiv Gandhi convicts sent to the Governor by the State government was pending for over two years. Earlier, it was informed that the reason behind the delay from the Governor’s end was owing to the probe of the Multi-Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA) which is looking into the larger conspiracy behind the Rajiv Gandhi Assassination case. However, the Court had held that the MDMA probe should not have any impact on the Governor’s decision to pardon the convicts. Nalini’s advocate Radhakrishnan is optimistic about the release of the seven convicts. Speaking to WION, he said, “State cabinet has passed a resolution in September 2018 and it is binding on the Governor. All seven of them should have been released on 9 September 2018. There are 3 earlier cases that were adjudged by a Constitutional bench, where it was ruled that the Governor has no discretion under Article 161. The Governor merely is a signing authority. Even without the Governor’s assent the State Government can release them”. He adds that their release is likely by the end of the year, also stating that cases filed by Perarivalan and Nalini are pending in the Supreme Court and Madras High Court respectively. Seven people including Nalini and her husband were convicted by the special TADA court for their role in the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on May 21 by an LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) suicide bomber during an election rally in Sriperumbudur, in the outskirts of Chennai.

Rajiv Gandhi assassination case: Nalini’s counsel optimistic on release of all 7 convicts by December

Amid reports of Rajiv Gandhi Assassination case life-convict Nalini’s suicide attempt in the Vellore Prison for women, her advocate Pugalendhi in a telephonic conversation told WION that the preliminary information was not convincing enough.

“Nalini is a fighter and has endured so much in her 29-year incarceration, I doubt if the reasons stated by officials would lead her to take such an extreme step. She has never done anything of this kind during her nearly 3-decade jail term. Perhaps, there is more to it than meets the eye” her advocate Pugalendhi says.&nbsp;

Pugalendhi said that he received a call at the intervening night between Monday and Tuesday and was informed that Nalini had attempted suicide in the Prison for Women in Vellore. He states the jail officials’ version, which says that Nalini and another life-convict had a misunderstanding and a quarrel, which aggravated. It is said that the life-convict complained to the jailer about the tussle with Nalini.&nbsp;

Apparently, the jailer had conducted an enquiry with Nalini at around 8:30pm, after which a disturbed Nalini attempted suicide. While some versions state that Nalini threatened to take the extreme step, others say that she had attempted suicide by strangulating using a cloth.&nbsp;

Pugalendhi stated that tussles between prisoners and wardens taking sides were common occurrences in jails. But he points out certain anomalies - “it is likely that the prisoner might have complained to the jailer before 6pm, when the prisoners are required to return to their cells. If the complaint was given at 6pm, why was it necessary for the jailer to visit Nalini and question her at 8:30pm for what seems to be a normal issue? After 7pm the jailer doesn’t visit the prisoners who are in their cells, there are only routine visits that happen daily in the morning. What was the need to go in at night and question her?”

Suspecting that there is more to it than what is being said about this attempted suicide, Pugalendhi talks about the torture and mental agony that Nalini has faced over the last 29 years of her life, which she has spent in jail. He asserts that Nalini has always been a fighter who has stood up for her rights and believed in fighting legal battles. “From how much I know her, she is not the kind of person that would think of taking an extreme step for the above reasons. She has not attempted anything of this sort in the last 29 years. She is a strong character” he says.&nbsp;

 
Pugalendhi also talks about another important aspect that might hold a clue to what went on inside the prison. “In the weekly call that convicts can have with their lawyers, Nalini’s husband, Murugan (a) Sriharan had recently said that legal action be initiated to shift Nalini to the Puzhal prison”.

Nalini is lodged in the Central Prison for Women in Vellore in Tamil Nadu, her husband Murugan (a) Sriharan is lodged in the Prison for male convicts in the same facility. Nalini and her husband are allowed to make two calls to each other every month. However, there is s case pending in the Madras High court on whether Nalini and her husband can make video calls to their family members who are residing abroad, in Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.&nbsp;

Seven people including Nalini and her husband were convicted by the special TADA court for their role in the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on May 21st by an LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) suicide bomber during an election rally in Sriperumbudur, in the outskirts of Chennai.&nbsp;

The convicts were initially sentenced to death, but later it was commuted to a life imprisonment. Besides Nalini and her husband Murugan (a) Sriharan, the other convicts are Perarivalan, Santhan, Jayakumar, Ravichandran and Robert Payas.

Amid reports of Rajiv Gandhi Assassination case life-convict Nalini’s suicide attempt in the Vellore Prison for women, her advocate Pugalendhi in a telephonic conversation told WION that the preliminary information was not convincing enough.

Amid reports of Rajiv Gandhi Assassination case life-convict Nalini’s suicide attempt in the Vellore Prison for women, her advocate Pugalendhi in a telephonic conversation told WION that the preliminary information was not convincing enough. “Nalini is a fighter and has endured so much in her 29-year incarceration, I doubt if the reasons stated by officials would lead her to take such an extreme step. She has never done anything of this kind during her nearly 3-decade jail term. Perhaps, there is more to it than meets the eye” her advocate Pugalendhi says. Pugalendhi said that he received a call at the intervening night between Monday and Tuesday and was informed that Nalini had attempted suicide in the Prison for Women in Vellore. He states the jail officials’ version, which says that Nalini and another life-convict had a misunderstanding and a quarrel, which aggravated. It is said that the life-convict complained to the jailer about the tussle with Nalini. Apparently, the jailer had conducted an enquiry with Nalini at around 8:30pm, after which a disturbed Nalini attempted suicide. While some versions state that Nalini threatened to take the extreme step, others say that she had attempted suicide by strangulating using a cloth. Pugalendhi stated that tussles between prisoners and wardens taking sides were common occurrences in jails. But he points out certain anomalies - “it is likely that the prisoner might have complained to the jailer before 6pm, when the prisoners are required to return to their cells. If the complaint was given at 6pm, why was it necessary for the jailer to visit Nalini and question her at 8:30pm for what seems to be a normal issue? After 7pm the jailer doesn’t visit the prisoners who are in their cells, there are only routine visits that happen daily in the morning. What was the need to go in at night and question her?” Suspecting that there is more to it than what is being said about this attempted suicide, Pugalendhi talks about the torture and mental agony that Nalini has faced over the last 29 years of her life, which she has spent in jail. He asserts that Nalini has always been a fighter who has stood up for her rights and believed in fighting legal battles. “From how much I know her, she is not the kind of person that would think of taking an extreme step for the above reasons. She has not attempted anything of this sort in the last 29 years. She is a strong character” he says. Pugalendhi also talks about another important aspect that might hold a clue to what went on inside the prison. “In the weekly call that convicts can have with their lawyers, Nalini’s husband, Murugan (a) Sriharan had recently said that legal action be initiated to shift Nalini to the Puzhal prison”. Nalini is lodged in the Central Prison for Women in Vellore in Tamil Nadu, her husband Murugan (a) Sriharan is lodged in the Prison for male convicts in the same facility. Nalini and her husband are allowed to make two calls to each other every month. However, there is s case pending in the Madras High court on whether Nalini and her husband can make video calls to their family members who are residing abroad, in Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom. Seven people including Nalini and her husband were convicted by the special TADA court for their role in the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on May 21st by an LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) suicide bomber during an election rally in Sriperumbudur, in the outskirts of Chennai. The convicts were initially sentenced to death, but later it was commuted to a life imprisonment. Besides Nalini and her husband Murugan (a) Sriharan, the other convicts are Perarivalan, Santhan, Jayakumar, Ravichandran and Robert Payas.

Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case: Lawyer raises questions over Nalini’s suicide attempt in jail, suspects foulplay 

Nalini Sriharan, a life convict in the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, reportedly attempted suicide in the Special Prison for Women in Vellore.

According to Nalini’s lawyer Advocate P Pugalenthi “There was a quarrel between Nalini and another life convict. The other person complained to the jailer about the tussle. Jailer conducted an enquiry with Nalini. It is said that Nalini was severely disturbed and attempted suicide.”

“Some say that Nalini threatened to take the extreme step and someday. She’s endured much more torture and fought it legally. It is doubtful if she would resort to an extreme measure for such a reason. I have known her as a fighter who stands up for her rights, we need to understand if there is some other serious issue,” added Advocate P Pugalenthi.

Last year Nalini, one of the seven convicts in former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination case had&nbsp;demanded mercy killing along with her husband Murugan alias Sriharan, who is also a convict in the case.

Nalini Sriharan, the lone surviving member of the five-member squad behind the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, has been serving a life term in Vellore Central Prison for the past 29 years.

Nalini and her husband Murugan, a Sri Lankan national, are among the seven convicts in the case who are serving life imprisonment in the case related to the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by an LTTE suicide bomber during an election rally at Sriperumpudur near here on May 21, 1991.

The seven convicts are AG Perarivalan, V Sriharan alias Murugan, T Suthendraraja alias Santhan, Jayakumar, Robert Payas, Ravichandran and Nalini Sriharan. They include both Indians and Sri Lankans. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Nalini Sriharan, a life convict in the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, reportedly attempted suicide in the Special Prison for Women in Vellore.

Nalini Sriharan, a life convict in the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, reportedly attempted suicide in the Special Prison for Women in Vellore. According to Nalini’s lawyer Advocate P Pugalenthi “There was a quarrel between Nalini and another life convict. The other person complained to the jailer about the tussle. Jailer conducted an enquiry with Nalini. It is said that Nalini was severely disturbed and attempted suicide.” “Some say that Nalini threatened to take the extreme step and someday. She’s endured much more torture and fought it legally. It is doubtful if she would resort to an extreme measure for such a reason. I have known her as a fighter who stands up for her rights, we need to understand if there is some other serious issue,” added Advocate P Pugalenthi. Last year Nalini, one of the seven convicts in former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination case had demanded mercy killing along with her husband Murugan alias Sriharan, who is also a convict in the case. Nalini Sriharan, the lone surviving member of the five-member squad behind the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, has been serving a life term in Vellore Central Prison for the past 29 years. Nalini and her husband Murugan, a Sri Lankan national, are among the seven convicts in the case who are serving life imprisonment in the case related to the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by an LTTE suicide bomber during an election rally at Sriperumpudur near here on May 21, 1991. The seven convicts are AG Perarivalan, V Sriharan alias Murugan, T Suthendraraja alias Santhan, Jayakumar, Robert Payas, Ravichandran and Nalini Sriharan. They include both Indians and Sri Lankans. (With inputs from agencies)

Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convict Nalini Sriharan reportedly attempted suicide in jail

In pics: Nalini Sriharan and her role in Rajiv Gandhi's assasination

Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convict Perarivalan will be out on Tuesday from the Central Prison Vellore on parole.

He will be released temporarily due to his father`s poor health.

This is the second time Perarivalan will be out on parole.

In 2017, he was released for 30 days which was extended by another 30 days on his mother Arpudhammal`s request.

Perarivalan and six other people were sentenced to life imprisonment in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

In May 1991, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide bomber during an election rally in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu. The attack also left 14 other people dead.

Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convict Perarivalan will be out on Tuesday from the Central Prison Vellore on parole. He will be released temporarily due to his father`s poor health.

Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convict Perarivalan will be out on Tuesday from the Central Prison Vellore on parole. He will be released temporarily due to his father`s poor health. This is the second time Perarivalan will be out on parole. In 2017, he was released for 30 days which was extended by another 30 days on his mother Arpudhammal`s request. Perarivalan and six other people were sentenced to life imprisonment in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. In May 1991, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide bomber during an election rally in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu. The attack also left 14 other people dead.

Convict in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case Perarivalan to walk out of prison today on parole

Nalini Sriharan, India’s longest-serving woman prisoner and convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, has been released on a month-long ordinary parole from Vellore central prison today.

Madras high court on July 5 granted parole to Nalini to make arrangements for her daughter's wedding. Nalini's daughter Harithra Sriharan, who was born in prison and is currently a medical practitioner in London.

This is her first such leave in 28 years of incarceration. Nalini was granted 12-hour parole in 2016 to attend the last rites of her father P Sankara Narayanan.

Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated at Sriperumbudur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu in May 1991 and a special court for Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act (TADA) cases had sentenced Nalini, who was then the only surviving accused present in the assassination, and other convicts to death in January 1998.

Nalini Sriharan, India’s longest-serving woman prisoner and convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, has been released on a month-long ordinary parole from Vellore central prison today.

Nalini Sriharan, India’s longest-serving woman prisoner and convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, has been released on a month-long ordinary parole from Vellore central prison today. Madras high court on July 5 granted parole to Nalini to make arrangements for her daughter's wedding. Nalini's daughter Harithra Sriharan, who was born in prison and is currently a medical practitioner in London. This is her first such leave in 28 years of incarceration. Nalini was granted 12-hour parole in 2016 to attend the last rites of her father P Sankara Narayanan. Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated at Sriperumbudur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu in May 1991 and a special court for Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act (TADA) cases had sentenced Nalini, who was then the only surviving accused present in the assassination, and other convicts to death in January 1998.

Rajiv Gandhi assassination convict Nalini Sriharan released from jail on 30-day parole for daughter's wedding

A timeline to Tamil Tigers' 37-year marathon struggle against Sri Lankan Army for separate state

Digvijay Singh’s comment that the Pulwama attack was an accident has drawn a terse reaction from Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh.&nbsp;

The Union minister, who is also the former Chief of Army Staff, &nbsp;asked the Congress leader if he would term the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi an accident too. Digvijaya Singh had termed the February 14 Pulwama car bomb attack on a CRPF convoy that killed over 40 jawans as an accident.&nbsp;

The Indian government had reacted strongly to the Pulwama attack and bombed Jaish-e-Muhammad camps in Pakistan’s Balakot town.

“With due respect, I would like to ask Digvijaya Singh Ji, was Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination an accident or a terrorist incident?” he asked, according to a video shared by news agency ANI.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Union minister VK Singh on Congress leader Digvijaya Singh terming <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pulwama?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pulwama</a> terrorist attack an “accident”,says, "With due respect, I would like to ask Digvijaya Singh Ji, was Rajiv Gandhi's assassination an accident or a terror incident?" <a href="https://t.co/Sm1blc2Gjj">pic.twitter.com/Sm1blc2Gjj</a>
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When asked about the claims of casualties in Balakot in the air strike carried out by IAF, he said, “The figure is of the attack on Balakot (250 casualties), the attack was only at one place, nowhere else. The target was selected carefully, away from residential areas to avoid civilian casualty.”

The remark comes a few hours after Digvijaya Singh dubbed the Pulwama terror attack an accident and sought proof from the Modi government about air strike carried out by IAF in Balakot of Pakistan on February 26. At least 40 CRPF soldiers were killed in one of the worst terror attacks in Kashmir in the last three decades.

“After the Pulwama accident and IAF’s air strike (in Pakistan), some foreign media reports have expressed doubt following which credibility of our Indian government is under question,” he said in a tweet on Tuesday morning. In another tweet, Singh questioned the claim of casualty caused to terrorists in Balakot.

“Prime Minister, some ministers of your government say 300 terrorists killed, BJP president says 250 are killed, Yogi Adityanath says 400 people were killed and your minister SS Ahluwalia says that no one died. And you are silent about this issue. The country wants to know who is a liar in this,” he said.

Meanwhile, another BJP leader Prakash Javadekar has slammed Digvijaya for his insensitive remark. “What has happened to the Congress? They are speaking against the sentiments of the country. They are calling lie the claims of defence forces. There is no democracy where questions are raised on the defence forces,” he said.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal has joined the league of leaders who are demanding evidence from Prime Minister Narendra Modi about IAF’s air strike in Pakistan. He even alleged that PM Modi and his party colleagues are guilty of politicising terror.

“Modi ji must answer as the international media like New York Times, Washington Post, London-based Jane Information group, Daily Telegraph, the Guardian and Reuters, are reporting that there is no proof of militant losses at Balakot in Pakistan,” Sibal said.

Digvijay Singh’s comment that the Pulwama attack was an accident has drawn a terse reaction from Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh. The Union minister, who is also the former Chief of Army Staff, asked the Congress leader if he would term the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi an accident too.

Digvijay Singh’s comment that the Pulwama attack was an accident has drawn a terse reaction from Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh. The Union minister, who is also the former Chief of Army Staff, asked the Congress leader if he would term the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi an accident too. Digvijaya Singh had termed the February 14 Pulwama car bomb attack on a CRPF convoy that killed over 40 jawans as an accident. The Indian government had reacted strongly to the Pulwama attack and bombed Jaish-e-Muhammad camps in Pakistan’s Balakot town. “With due respect, I would like to ask Digvijaya Singh Ji, was Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination an accident or a terrorist incident?” he asked, according to a video shared by news agency ANI. #WATCH Union minister VK Singh on Congress leader Digvijaya Singh terming #Pulwama terrorist attack an “accident”,says, "With due respect, I would like to ask Digvijaya Singh Ji, was Rajiv Gandhi's assassination an accident or a terror incident?" pic.twitter.com/Sm1blc2Gjj — ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2019 × When asked about the claims of casualties in Balakot in the air strike carried out by IAF, he said, “The figure is of the attack on Balakot (250 casualties), the attack was only at one place, nowhere else. The target was selected carefully, away from residential areas to avoid civilian casualty.” The remark comes a few hours after Digvijaya Singh dubbed the Pulwama terror attack an accident and sought proof from the Modi government about air strike carried out by IAF in Balakot of Pakistan on February 26. At least 40 CRPF soldiers were killed in one of the worst terror attacks in Kashmir in the last three decades. “After the Pulwama accident and IAF’s air strike (in Pakistan), some foreign media reports have expressed doubt following which credibility of our Indian government is under question,” he said in a tweet on Tuesday morning. In another tweet, Singh questioned the claim of casualty caused to terrorists in Balakot. “Prime Minister, some ministers of your government say 300 terrorists killed, BJP president says 250 are killed, Yogi Adityanath says 400 people were killed and your minister SS Ahluwalia says that no one died. And you are silent about this issue. The country wants to know who is a liar in this,” he said. Meanwhile, another BJP leader Prakash Javadekar has slammed Digvijaya for his insensitive remark. “What has happened to the Congress? They are speaking against the sentiments of the country. They are calling lie the claims of defence forces. There is no democracy where questions are raised on the defence forces,” he said. Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal has joined the league of leaders who are demanding evidence from Prime Minister Narendra Modi about IAF’s air strike in Pakistan. He even alleged that PM Modi and his party colleagues are guilty of politicising terror. “Modi ji must answer as the international media like New York Times, Washington Post, London-based Jane Information group, Daily Telegraph, the Guardian and Reuters, are reporting that there is no proof of militant losses at Balakot in Pakistan,” Sibal said.

Was Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination also an accident? VK Singh responds to Digvijaya Singh’s Pulwama remark

In an alleged statement, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has claimed that they had 'no link'&nbsp;in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991.

The alleged letter from LTTE has been signed by their Political Wing representative Kurburan Guruswami and Legal Wing representative Lathan Chandralingam.

Claiming itself to be an organization "by the people, for the people and of the people of Tamil Eelam," LTTE, in its alleged statement, said that time and again they have "clearly demonstrated with evidence in support that the LTTE has not been involved in any kind with the murder of Rajiv Gandhi, this unverified allegation is still being imposed."

"Due to this defamation campaign, our people are being pushed into instability. Some others even go too far as to assert that the lives of the 1,50 000 people killed in Mullivaikaal do not worth altogether to the single life of Rajiv Gandhi".

"This declaration is hurting,"&nbsp;the alleged statement read.

"The LTTE never intended to demolish the leadership of India nor attack India. We never turned our guns toward any person or leader who was not part of Sri Lanka. We never planned any attack against any non-Sri Lankan leader. We never developed any action against any national leader of India," it added.

It further claimed that "the pre-planned murder of Rajiv Gandhi is the result of a conspiracy motivated by the purpose of dismantling the strong relationship between the Indian government and the LTTE."

"We ask for an immediate cessation of this allegation of defamation upon the LTTE concerning the murder of Rajiv Gandhi. As a result, we hope to put an end to the infamy on the LTTE on an international platform and that the International Community would at last end the ban on the LTTE that prevents our People to breathe the air of freedom," LTTE added. 
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In an alleged statement, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has claimed that they had 'no link' in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991.

In an alleged statement, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has claimed that they had 'no link' in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991. The alleged letter from LTTE has been signed by their Political Wing representative Kurburan Guruswami and Legal Wing representative Lathan Chandralingam. Claiming itself to be an organization "by the people, for the people and of the people of Tamil Eelam," LTTE, in its alleged statement, said that time and again they have "clearly demonstrated with evidence in support that the LTTE has not been involved in any kind with the murder of Rajiv Gandhi, this unverified allegation is still being imposed." "Due to this defamation campaign, our people are being pushed into instability. Some others even go too far as to assert that the lives of the 1,50 000 people killed in Mullivaikaal do not worth altogether to the single life of Rajiv Gandhi". "This declaration is hurting," the alleged statement read. "The LTTE never intended to demolish the leadership of India nor attack India. We never turned our guns toward any person or leader who was not part of Sri Lanka. We never planned any attack against any non-Sri Lankan leader. We never developed any action against any national leader of India," it added. It further claimed that "the pre-planned murder of Rajiv Gandhi is the result of a conspiracy motivated by the purpose of dismantling the strong relationship between the Indian government and the LTTE." "We ask for an immediate cessation of this allegation of defamation upon the LTTE concerning the murder of Rajiv Gandhi. As a result, we hope to put an end to the infamy on the LTTE on an international platform and that the International Community would at last end the ban on the LTTE that prevents our People to breathe the air of freedom," LTTE added.

'No link' to Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, claims LTTE