Political considerations behind TN govt move: Rajiv Shukla

Meanwhile, Commerce Minister Anand Sharma says commuting of death sentence does not mean a declaration of innocence

With the Supreme Court staying the release of three convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, Union minister Rajiv Shukla today said the Tamil Nadu government stood "exposed" as it was acting out of "political considerations" on the issue.

"It is good that the Supreme Court has stayed the release. The Tamil Nadu government, which was hell-bent on release the assassins of the late Prime Minister, has been thoroughly exposed. It shows their political motives are not right," said Shukla, who is the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs.

He criticised the Jayalalithaa government, saying it was acting out of political considerations.

Commerce Minister Anand Sharma said that commuting of death sentence does not mean a declaration of innocence. The brutal assassination of Rajiv Gandhi cannot be forgotten, he said.

To a question about the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's decision, Sharma said she has to give an explanation on what was her position on the issues of terrorism and LTTE in the past and what she is doing now.

"It is very distressing, we cannot drag partisan politics to that level," Sharma said.

He said other people from Tamil Nadu were also killed in the attack on Rajiv Gandhi. "It is, therefore, better left to the Supreme Court to take an appropriate view," he added.

The Supreme Court today stayed the release of three convicts--Santhan, Murugan and Perarivalan--in the assassination case, saying there have been procedural lapses on the part of the state.