The Hindu : Bleach release questioned

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 12, 2004

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National

Bleach release questioned

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, FEB. 11. The Congress today demanded that the Vajpayee Government come out with an explanation on the release of Peter Bleach, who was convicted in the Purulia arms drop case.

The party raised five questions on the decision, especially since he was convicted for serious offences and what material was available with the Government to justify the release, since on two previous occasions the President had rejected the request for a pardon.

"Did at any time the Government of India even attempt to bargain for release of any Indian prisoners in the United Kingdom?'' the Congress spokesperson, Abhishek Singhvi, said adding that at the time India had let off five Latvians undergoing a prison term in the case, Latvia has released five Indian prisoners and reduced a term of a sixth prisoner.

In any case, the party said in almost all cases, clemency or pardon was given only after all appeals were exhausted. In this case, he sought to know why the Government did not wait for the appeal pending before a High Court.

The Congress also questioned the reduction of fees in the Indian Institutes of Management/Indian Institutes of Technology stating that the party was "seriously concerned that the BJP-led Government is bent on destroying its roots and branches on the excuse of lowering fees, hugely increasing subsidy.'' On the excuse of lowering the fees, the Government wanted to exercise a `stranglehold' and turn these institutions into "fiefdoms," he said.

The party sought to know whether the Government had any instance of a student who qualified for these institutes, either did not join or failed to complete the course due to fees or even banks refusing educational loans to this category of students. After lowering the fees, the Government would have to give a subsidy of Rs.4.5 lakhs per student which would have been better spent on primary education.

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