Centre to respond to Kalam's advice regarding pardon to 50 culprits

The Centre on Monday said it would spell out its stand on President A P J Kalam's reported advice that it consider a pardon for a majority of an estimated 50 individuals on death row and whose mercy petitions are pending before him.

"I will speak on it in Parliament in detail," Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil told reporters when asked about the Ministry's stand on the issue.

"These are very big issues," he said, declining to discuss it in public, saying the issue cannot be responded to in a few sentences to the media.

"There are rulings given, laws existing and reports given and all these things," Patil said. "I will talk about it in Parliament."

Kalam's recommendation, according to reports in a section of the press, came after the Home Ministry got back to the President saying these cases -- about 20 -- were not fit for Presidential pardon.