"I Forgive," says Rahul Gandhi on his father's assassinators

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited Puducherry ahead of assembly elections that are to be held in May.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday that his father, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's assassination (in 1991) brought him tremendous pain but he did not feel "hatred or anger" towards those behind it. "I don't have anger or hatred towards anybody. Of course, I lost my father and, for me, it was a very difficult time... I felt tremendous pain, but I don't feel hatred or anger. I forgive," said Rahul Gandhi. He interacted with the students of Bharathidasan Government College for Women during his visit to Puducherry ahead of assembly elections that are to be held in May.

Mr Gandhi said that violence cannot take away anything while replying to the next question regarding his political career in spite of losing his father and grandmother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. "Violence cannot take away anything from you... my father is alive in me... my father is talking through me," he replied. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a suicide bomber of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) - a separatist group from Sri Lanka - in Tamil Nadu's Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991. The seven convicts in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi were ordered premature release by the ruling AIADMK in 2018 but the order is still awaiting Governor's approval.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi also spoke to the students about their power of speaking up and not allowing anyone to "frighten them into silence." "If you're shutting up the nation, frightening people and not allowing them to talk, you're destroying the nation's character and destiny. No youngster should allow anybody to frighten them into silence. This is their power," he said. Mr Gandhi's remark comes amid the arrest of 22-year-old activist Disha Ravi, who has been charged with sedition in connection with the 'toolkit' case.