Chennai, Jun 11 (IANS): Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder- president S. Ramadoss has urged Tamil Nadu Chief minister MK Stalin to write to the Governor for the release of the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convicts. He said that the state government must petition the Governor to immediately take action on the request made by the earlier Palaniswami government.

In a letter written to the Chief Minister on June 11, he said that the state government must request Raj Bhavan and not Rashtrapati Bhavan for the release of seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

The PMK leader said that June 11 marks the 30th year of the arrest of the seven convicts and alleged that Raj Bhavan is playing a game of hide and seek on the release of the convicts.

In reference to Chief Minister MK Stalin's letter to the President in May requesting his intervention for the release of the seven convicts, Ramadoss said that requesting the President would lead to further delay in the release. He added that the courts have already clearly said that the Governor has the authority to decide on this and approaching the President would lead to compromising the interests of the state before the Centre.

The seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case are Nalini Sriharan, Murugan, AG Perarivalan, Santhan, Jayakumar, Robert Payas and P Ravichandran who are in Tamil Nadu prisons.