Fine, so nice of her! But it is very hard to be convinced. There are reports in the media that Murugan (Nalini's husband, co- conspirator) is writing an autobiography. According to rumor mills this book is full of "explosive revelations". So, the timing of the meeting raises many questions.
Nalini's lawyer, S Duraisamy who had filed an application under RTI act, has stated that he wanted this visit to be on record. That means the visit should be properly registered and the record should not get erased over time. His statement implies that it was intended to be a secret meeting. The point to be noted here is that it was Nalini's family and lawyers, who have made the media-disclosure about the meeting. Priyanka was left with no options. She had to admit that she visited Nalini. But as clever as her mother Sonia, Priyanka has now shown her "large-heartedness", like Sonia's much publicized "sacrifice" of Prime Ministership!!
The secret meeting is not as simple as it looks. Incidentally, It was Sonia Gandhi, who pleaded clemency for Nalini, who was convicted and sentenced to death by the court. Now Priyanka has visited her. Nalini's lawyer has told mediapersons that Priyanka wanted to find out who masterminded her father's assassination. Since all the Courts have already established that LTTE was the real conspirator, it is not clear why Priyanka wanted to know about the "real conspirator".
In early 2004 there were reports in the media that Congress and particularly Sonia's family had been trying to make a deal with LTTE and Edwardo Faleiro of the party had been sent to Lanka on a secret mission to meet LTTE leaders on behalf of Sonia. But he denied it he had said that he was on a personal tour in the northern Sri Lanka (a war-torn area!).
I don't know whether there is any substance to these claims. But Priyanka's visit certainly makes everybody suspicious. Visiting a convicted terrorist is not an ordinary thing. According to Dr. Subramaniam Swamy this is an illegal meeting. He has stated in his press-note that the Tamil Nadu government must prosecute Priyanka for criminal offence of trespass into a highly restricted prison in Vellore. He said the jail authorities had confirmed that Priyanka had no requisite permission to enter the jail, much less seek permission to meet the Supreme Court-convicted killer. He said he would file a private complaint in the court to enforce the police to do its statutory duty if the State government failed to do so by May 21.
He also said "if Priyanka wanted to tell the nation the truth about who contracted the LTTE to kill her father, she can begin by telling the nation about her father's last phone call from Visakhapatnam to her and the details of the conversations that took place. She should also investigate who persuaded Mr Gandhi to campaign in Seriperumbudur when even the local Congress candidate did not ask for it, and how his travel schedule became known to Sivarasan and to the LTTE even before the local police was informed of his visit...She should also ask her mother Sonia Gandhi why the UPA government had abandoned the demand for extradition of LTTE supremo V Prabhakaran and his lieutenant, Pottu Amman, who are still Accused No 1 and 2 respectively in the trial court chargesheet...The commutation of Nalini's death sentence to life imprisonment was illegally done in 2000 by the NDA government at the Centre and the DMK government in Tamil Nadu by asking the Governor to proclaim it. Only the President of India can grant such pardon under the Constitution.Hence if any move is made by Ms Priyanka Vadra to free Nalini from prison for some quid pro quo, I shall file a PIL against the same...''
So, there are many unanswered questions. Is Murugan's autobiography one of the reasons for the viist? Why Priyanka has repeatedly asked Nalini about the "real mastermind"? How can she hope to come to terms with the killing of her father (that too after 17 years!) by visiting the killer?
(c) G. Anil Kumar (2008)
