Nation cannot forgive Prabhakaran for Rajiv killing:Priyanka

Amethi, Apr 21 (PTI) Congress star campaigner Priyanka
Gandhi Tuesday said India as a nation cannot forgive LTTE
chief V Prabhakaran for the assassination of former Indian
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi though personally she and her
family harbour no "hatred or anger" against the killers of her
father.

Priyanka also downplayed the controversial comments of
Dravida Munnetra Kazhgham (DMK) chief M Karunanidhi that
Prabhakaran is not a terrorist, saying she would have no
"personal grief" even if anybody "praises" the Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) chief.

"This issue is both political and personal for me. I
fully understand politically the former Prime Minister of
India was assassinated and they (LTTE) cannot be pardoned by
India as a nation," she said when asked what treatment she
would like to be meted out to Prabhakaran if he is handed over
to India by Sri Lanka.

She, however, hastened to add that "from the point of
view of humanity, I have nothing against them (killers) in my
heart...neither anger nor hatred."

Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by LTTE in a suicide bomb
attack in Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991.

Priyanka, in interviews to media here while campaigning
for brother Rahul Gandhi, referred to her meeting with Nalini,
one of the convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, and
described it as a learning experience.

Asked whether she has forgiven Nalini, Priyanka
responded, "I am like Nalini. I am a human being. One human
being cannot forgive another human being."

On Karunanidhi's comment that Prabhakaran is not a
terrorist and the LTTE chief was his good friend, Priyanka
said, "If somebody says things about them (LTTE) or praises
them, it does not cause us personal grief. Politics is quite
separate to us from our personal grief,"

At the same time, she noted that "he (Karunanidhi) has
retracted his statement."

She also declined to comment on All India Anna Dravida
Munetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) chief J Jayalalithaa's remark that
Sonia Gandhi should tell the nation what she feels about the
DMK chief's remark. "These are political things. I won't like
to comment on that," Priyanka said.

Asked to comment on Rahul's remark that the family was
yet to get justice for the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi,
Priyanka said she and her brother perhaps react differently on
this issue.

She, however, maintained that Rahul has no anger in
his heart and he was only referring to the long period that
justice system takes. PTI NAB