The mother of AG Perarivalan, a convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, on Friday demanded euthanasia for her son, alleging he was “slowly dying in prison”. “I don’t want my son to live in agony anymore and I am going to write to the state and Centre seeking mercy killing for my son,” Arputhammal told reporters in Chennai, according to the Hindustan Times.

President Ram Nath Kovind has rejected the Tamil Nadu government’s request to release seven prisoners convicted for former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination. “Why is the President even getting involved in this? Isn’t his duty only to look into mercy petitions?,” Arputhammal asked, according to The News Minute. “We are going as per the law. Why is the Centre doing this? This is clearly a political move. Let them clearly say that they do not want to free my son and then kill us both. He and I are only living to see the day he gets freed.”

Advocate K Sivakumar, who is part of Perarivalan’s legal team, concurred. “When even Rajiv Gandhi’s son Rahul Gandhi has said he has forgiven the convicts, why is the government not willing to release them [the convicts]?” he asked.

Tamil Nadu Law Minister CV Shanmugham said the state would explore all legal options to enable the release of all convicts. “Our leader [former Chief Minister] J Jayalalithaa wanted to release the convicts on humanitarian grounds and this government will work on that,” he said.

In March, the Supreme Court had dismissed Perarivalan’s plea urging the court to recall its 1999 judgement convicting him.