Sir — This refers to the editorial, “Display of undue mercy” (February 22). Taking advantage of loopholes in the law and a Supreme Court verdict, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa resorted to the worst kind of vote-bank politics by announcing the release of all the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case immediately after the apex court commuted the death penalty of three of the convicts to a life term. However, the Supreme Court, acting on the Centre’s petition seeking a stay on Ms Jayalalithaa’s decision, has told the Tamil Nadu Government that killers cannot be freed right away.
The politicisation of terror cases for electoral dividend must stop. India has been among the world’s worst terror-victims. Millions of innocent citizens, and even two of our Prime Ministers, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, have been killed by terrorists who deserved the noose, not mercy.
Those convicted in cases of terror must remain behind bars till death, if they are spared the capital punishment. While commuting the death penalty of a terror convict into a life term, the verdict should specifically mention that ‘life term’ in the case means imprisonment for the entire life, without parole.