Rajiv killing: Swamy's plea

By Our Staff Reporter

MADURAI, MAY 2. The Janata Party president, Dr. Subramanian Swamy, has urged the Multi Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA) of the CBI to launch a thorough investigation to find out whether the LTTE and a ``stooge organisation had been motivated, financed or facilitated by any other organisation, Indian or foreign,'' to carry out the assassination of the former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi.

Talking to reporters here today, after releasing the Tamil version of his book, ``Rajiv Gandhi Assassination - Unanswered Questions and Unasked Queries'', Dr. Swamy said the Supreme Court had held that the LTTE, with ground support of the stooge organisation, had carried out the dastardly act.

The anti-Indian terrorist outfit, in tandem with Pakistan's ISI, was attempting to divide India by providing training for PWG and ULFA.

The assassination of the former Prime Minister, he said, had challenged the sovereignty of the country.

The three-judge Divisional Bench of the Supreme Court, in its verdict, found the LTTE guilty of murder. Earlier, a trial court had convicted 26 persons for the assassination of whom seven were found to be Dravidar Kazhagam volunteers.

Dr. Swamy charged that a few in the country, however, were maintaining that the LTTE did not kill Rajiv Gandhi.

He said the Tamil version of his book on the assassination raised three questions ``that remained unanswered in connection with the murder.'' He asked who exerted pressure on Rajiv Gandhi to visit Tamil Nadu and how could the killers lay hands on his tour schedule in advance.

He also wondered how Dhanu, the human bomb, could go near Rajiv despite metal detectors. The Verma Commission, he pointed out, had said the explosive materials, strapped in a belt of Dhanu, could cause damage to those within the radius of six feet only.

As the ``needle of suspicion'' was pointing towards a ``few leaders of the Congress itself'', Dr.Swamy demanded a thorough investigation into the assassination. The preface for the Tamil version of the book, however, was new, he added. He also said he would bring the second edition of his English version soon.

Earlier, the Tamil version of the book was released by Dr. Swamy, the first copy of which was received by the Janata Party's State president, Ms. V. S. Chandralekha.

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