Stalin’s dig at AIADMK on pre-mature release of Muslim prisoners
Stating that the DMK government had followed legal steps on the matter, Mr Stalin as of October eight, 2023, a total of 335 life convicts have been released. Of them nine were Muslim prisoners, he added.
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday had a dig at
the main Opposition AIADMK on the pre-mature release of Muslim prisoners, who were
languishing in various jails in the State.
Replying to a Special Calling Attention motion given notice of by the members of various
political parties, including the AIADMK, in the State Assembly, he said attempts were being
to create an impression that the ruling DMK had not done anything for the release of Muslim
prisoners
Stating that the DMK government had followed legal steps on the matter, Mr Stalin as of
October eight, 2023, a total of 335 life convicts have been released.
Of them nine were Muslim prisoners, he added.
“A total of 335 prisoners of 566 life convicts, whose premature release was recommended
by an Advisory board, had been released. Of them, nine were from Islamic community, he
said and added that already 29 life convicts had been released based on medical grounds
and court orders.
The Chief Minister said a six-member committee headed by Justice N. Authinathan had been
constituted to consider the pleas of prisoners who had completed 20 years in jail, elderly
prisoners, prisoners with disabilities, as well as prisoners suffering from chronic diseases
and mental illnesses.
The committee had recommended the premature release of 264 life prisoners.
Based on the committee’s recommendations, 49 of the 264 prisoners have been selected
for premature release on the occasion of the 115th birth anniversary of former Chief Minister
C.N. Annadurai on September 15 this year, and a file was sent to the Governor on August 24,
2023 in this regard.
“Of the 49, 20 prisoners are Muslims. All of them will be released after getting the consent of
the Governor,” he said and assured that the government would take further action on the
recommendations of the Justice Athinathan Committee.
Having a dig at the AIADMK, Mr Stalin asked Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K.Palaniswami
for not taking any action on release of Muslim prisoners, despite the AIADMK being in power for
ten years (from 2011 to 2021).
Questioned the sudden “special concern” shown by Mr Palaniswami for Muslim prisoners, the
Chief Minister recalled that the AIADMK government had released prisoners convicted in the
Dharmapuri bus burning case.
“On the eve of the centenary celebrations of AIADMK, your government released those who
were convicted in the bus burning incident in Dharmapuri in which (three) Tamil Nadu Agricultural
University girl students were charred to death. My question is that why did you not take steps for
the release of the Muslim prisoners (then)?”, he asked.
Mr Stalin said he was trying to sound arrogant, but posing this question to him (Mr Palaniswami)
out of humility.
He also alleged that the AIADMK blindly supported the Union Government’s Citizenship Amendment
Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens.
“Everyone, particularly the minority community, knows why you have developed a sudden concern
for the Muslim prisoners”, Mr Stalin said, in an apparent reference to the ensuing Lok Sabha polls.
