On Wednesday, a demonstration led by various Muslim organizations, notably the Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi (MJK), was held outside the Triplicane mosque in Chennai. The protest called for the release of 36 Muslim prisoners.
The issue at hand arose following a motion presented by multiple political parties in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Tuesday, seeking the release of these 36 Muslim prisoners. Among them, 16 were linked to the 1998 Coimbatore bomb blast incident.
Edappadi K. Palaniswami, a leader of the AIADMK, expressed his request for their release in the Assembly. He emphasized that these individuals have been incarcerated for over two decades and raised concerns regarding their health conditions.
In response, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin disclosed that a list of 49 eligible life-term prisoners had already been compiled. The necessary documents advocating their release were dispatched to Governor RN Ravi for his consent.
Furthermore, Stalin questioned the AIADMK's sudden display of concern regarding the release of Muslim prisoners, insinuating that they had taken no action during their ten-year tenure in power. This exchange led to an uproar in the Assembly, and AIADMK members staged a walkout.
The president of the BJP's state branch, Annamalai, opposed the notion of releasing the Muslim prisoners, arguing that they were involved in acts of terrorism and should not be considered regular prisoners.
In parallel with these developments, several Muslim organizations staged protests, demanding the prisoners' release. Thameemul Ansari, leader of the MJK, contended that the DMK government should not shift blame onto Governor Ravi for the prisoner release issue.
He urged the government to pass a resolution in the Assembly for the prisoners' release under Article 161, and until such a decision is reached, the prisoners should be granted temporary leave from incarceration, similar to the case of Perarivalan (a convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination). In response to Annamalai's opposition from the BJP, Ansari argued that the BJP had no moral authority to speak on the matter, pointing out the premature release of rape convicts in the Bilkis Bano case by the Gujarat government.
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