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Tamil Nadu govt urged to grant asylum to acquitted Rajiv Gandhi prisoners

The Tamil Nadu government should take appropriate steps, so that the four Eelam Tamils acquitted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case can live a happy life outside prison, said the coordinator of the National Organization for the Release of Political Prisoners, Rev. Fr. M. Sakthivel.

The organisation has appealed to the Government of Tamil Nadu and the Central Government of India to take measures to ensure the released prisoners' freedom.

"These people have already faced many difficulties inside prison, they have spent most of their lives inside the prison, they deserve to live happily," Father Sakthivel said.

The pleas come amid reports that the four acquitted were being prepared for deportation to Sri Lanka.

The Tamil Nadu government should allow these four to live in Tamil Nadu, like many of the thousands of Eelam Tamil refugees who have fled Sri Lanka. Many Tamils from the North-East have also arrived in Tamil Nadu seeking asylum due to the current economic crisis in Sri Lanka.

Diaspora organisations that have celebrated their release, should act promptly if the Tamil Nadu Government refuses to accept them as refugees, the National Organization for the Release of Political Prisoners said.

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