Congress, Samajwadi Party slam Jayalalithaa

The Maharashtra Congress minority cell and the Samajwadi Party Thursday slammed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa for her government's decision to release the seven convicts involved in the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

"The Supreme Court order directing the Tamil Nadu government to maintain a status quo on the issue is a slap on the face of the Jayalalithaa-led government," Congress minority cell vice-president Sayed Zishan Ahmed said.

Terming the move as "extremely regrettable", state Samajwadi Party president Abu Asim Azmi wondered what kind of message the Tamil Nadu government wanted to convey to the people of the country.

"Is Jayalalithaa trying to convey that to derive political benefit, it is okay to stoop to any level?" Azmi said.

Azmi said Jayalalithaa was playing "a dangerous political game" with grave consequences for the future of the country.

Ahmed said the party activists welcomed the Supreme Court's directive by celebrating sweets in Nagpada, south Mumbai, Thursday afternoon.

"Nagpada, a thickly populated Muslim-dominated area, has a historical value as Rajiv Gandhi had visited the place just a day before he was assassinated by a suicide bomber at an election rally near Chennai May 21, 1991," Ahmed said.