SC verdict on Perarivalan a victory for state autonomy & federalism, says Stalin

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday said that the Supreme Court verdict on AG Perarivalan, ordering his release from prison, reiterates the fact that Governors have no powers to interfere in the decisions of the state governments. Hence, this verdict is a victory for State autonomy and federalism in India, he added.

Talking to reporters at the secretariat, the chief minister welcomed the SC verdict and said it is based on humanitarian concerns.  

"At the same time, the other dimension of this verdict is that it has strongly established the rights of the state governments. It is very important that the judges have said that the Governor has no powers to interfere in the policy decisions of the state government and that when the Governor becomes inactive, the court will interfere. So, this verdict is a victory for State autonomy and federalism. Besides, the judges have also clarified that the court need not consult the Union Government on this issue," Stalin noted.

Questioned about the release of the rest of the six convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, Stalin said, "The government will study the full verdict of the SC and take steps for the release of the other convicts."

Meanwhile, in a detailed statement, the Chief Minister recalled that the legal battle for releasing Perarivalan had lasted for over 30 years. When the SC upheld the death sentence for Santhan, Murugan, Perarivalan and Nalini, the death sentence for Nalini was commuted to life sentence and for the other three, the death sentence was commuted to a life sentence.

The Chief Minister said the counsels of the Tamil Nadu government had put forth strong views before the SC and the State government's right to release Perarivalan under Article 161.