Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa says that she does not have the powers to commute the death sentences of three men convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
“As a Chief Minister I don’t have the powers to change the ruling after the President of India has rejected their mercy petition," she told Tamil Nadu Assembly.
"I request the leaders of political parties and others not to run a campaign as if I have the powers to commute the death sentence,” the chief minister added.
Santhan, Murugan and Perarivalan, an Indian and two Sri Lankans are convicted of assisting the assassination.
‘Indefinite fast’
At the same time, Ms Jayalalithaa said, a fresh application seeking to reconsider the earlier decision could be filed before the President by the condemned men "if there is a change of circumstance or if any new material is available.”
"Once the President has rejected a mercy petition, all future applications in this behalf should be addressed to and would be dealt with by the President of India," she said.
She also accused former Chief Minister Karunanidhi with playing a double role in the issue since it was the DMK government that adopted a resolution in April 19, 2000 seeking to commute the death sentence only of Nalini, on the ground that she had given birth to a child, and not of the three others.
The death sentence of Nalini has already been commuted.
Meantime protest demonstrations are being staged in many parts of the state.
Last evening a 20-year-old girl, Sengodi, immolated herself in Kancheepuram, 80 km from Chennai, demanding the lives of the three be spared.
Three women lawyers are on an indefinite fast in Chennai on the same demand.
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