LTTE issues statement denying links to the assassination of former Premier Rajiv Gandhi: Indian media reports

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in an alleged statement quoted by Indian media has denied that it had any link to the assassination of India's former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991.

The statement from the LTTE was dated - 1-12-2018,  and signed by Political Wing representative Kurburan Guruswami and Legal Wing representative Lathan Chandralingam, according to an ANI report.

The statement has claimed that the LTTE had no intentions of conspiring or attacking India and "did not even think of attacking any Indian leader."

"The LTTE never intended to demolish the leadership of India nor attack India. We never turned our guns toward any person or leader who was not part of Sri Lanka. We never planned any attack against any non-Sri Lankan leader. We never developed any action against any national leader of India," it added.

"Sri Lankan government along with other countries conspired against and linked us to Rajiv's assassination," the statement added.

The statement further claimed that "the pre-planned murder of Rajiv Gandhi is the result of a conspiracy motivated by the purpose of dismantling the strong relationship between the Indian government and the LTTE."

LTTE in its alleged statement has said that they have "clearly demonstrated with evidence in support that the LTTE has not been involved in any kind with the murder of Rajiv Gandhi," but "this unverified allegation is still being imposed."

"Due to this defamation campaign, our people are being pushed into instability. Some others even go too far as to assert that 'the lives of the 150 000 people killed in Mullivaikaal do not worth altogether to the single life of Rajiv Gandhi. This declaration is hurting," the statement  said.

In the statement, the LTTE asked for "an immediate cessation of this allegation of defamation upon the LTTE concerning the murder of Rajiv Gandhi."

"As a result, we hope to put an end to the infamy on the LTTE on an international platform and that the International Community would at last end the ban on the LTTE that prevents our People to breathe the air of freedom," LTTE added.