Led by Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) leader Vaiko, the party today staged a protest in Chennai demanding that Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit release seven people serving life imprisonment in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
Members of opposition parties like DMK, CPI, CPI-M and others extended support to the protest demanding their release in line with a resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu cabinet.
Tamil Nadu leader Vaiko said the governor should release the seven convicts under Article 161 of the Constitution.
The seven people have been identified as Perarivalan, Murugan, Nalini, Shanthan, Ravichandran, Jayakumar and Robert Pyas.
Political leaders said the seven have been in jail for the past 27 years -- since a suicide bomber killed former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at an election rally on May 21, 1991.
However, Mr Vaiko and others were detained by the police following the protest.
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