DMK, in alliance with Congress in Tamil Nadu, promises in its manifesto to 'free Rajiv Gandhi's killers'
Chennai: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party, led by MK Stalin, on Tuesday launched its election manifesto for the 2019 Lok Sabha election. In a controversial move, DMK, which is in alliance with Rahul Gandhi’s Congress in Tamil Nadu, has promised in its manifesto to make efforts for the release all seven killers of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, the Congress President’s father.
In the past as well, DMK has approached the state government as well as the Governor on several occasions, requesting the release of the convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The case pertains to the killing of the former PM Rajiv Gandhi who was killed in a suicide bomb attack on May 21, 1991, in Sriperumbadur in Chennai.
The seven convicts in the case -Nalini, Murugan Santhan, AG Perarivalan, Robert Payas, S Jayakumar and Ravichandran have been incarcerated for nearly three decades. On September 9, the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadgu had recommended that all seven life convicts in the case can be released under Article 161 of the Constitution.
In its manifesto, which was released on Tuesday in Chennai, the party has also promised to provide compensation to the victims of demonetisation. The opposition party in Tamil Nadu has also promised to abolish the NEET examination for admission into medical colleges.
At the event, party chief MK Stalin said that the DMK was opposed to conducting of NEET in Tamil Nadu and assured to take steps to get it abolished if the party becomes the part of the next government at the Centre.
The party has also promised to waive off educational loans of some students, besides providing benefits under the MNREGA scheme for 150 days. DMK, which is one of the key political parties in Tamil Nadu and has ruled the state for several terms in the past, has also vowed to provide free electricity to weavers and separate budgets for farmers.
It has also vowed to ensure the linking of South India Rivers and has promised to help provide citizenship to the refugees from Sri Lanka.
The DMK released its list of candidates for Lok Sabha and Assembly elections on Sunday, for which it fielded established names for the general elections while relatively-newer candidates have been given tickets for the Assembly polls.
DMK president's sister M Kanimozhi, whose Rajya Sabha tenure ends in July, will make her electoral debut from Tuticorin. Meanwhile, senior leader Durai Murugan's son Kadir Anand will contest from Vellore, and K Ponmudi's son Dr Gautham from Kallakurichi.
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