Tamil Nadu: Muslim teams calls for launch of Muslim prisoners after AIADMK sought launch of Coimbatore bomb convicts

Politics have heated up in Tamil Nadu over the demand to launch Muslim prisoners from jail, together with these convicted within the 1998 Coimbatore bomb blast. Opposition events together with AIADMK, which just lately exited NDA, are demanding the discharge of Muslim prisoners who’ve served a very long time in jail. BJP is opposing the demand, whereas DMK is questioning AIADMK’s sudden love for Muslim prisoners. DMK can also be making an attempt to take a secular stand right here, saying there the government won’t see prisoners based mostly on their faith.

The matter was raised in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday when a movement was raised in search of the discharge of the 36 Muslim prisoners. Almost all opposition events within the meeting supported the movement, besides BJP. Raising the matter in meeting, AIADMK chief Edappadi Ok Palaniswami urged the state to launch them. He cited their well being circumstances and added that they’ve been in jail for greater than 20 years. Palaniswami stated that a number of political events had been demanding the discharge of those prisoners and the state authorities ought to heed their plea.

Several different MLAs from totally different events made comparable calls for. Responding to the identical, CM MK Stalin stated that the federal government has already taken steps to launch prisoners. He stated that the state authorities had arrange a six-member committee, led by retired Madras High Court decide, Justice N Authinathan, in December 2021 to look into the matter.

The panel had really useful the discharge of 224 prisoners, following which the state determined to first launch 49 prisoners, of which 20 had been Muslim. The chief minister stated the paperwork on the discharge had been pending with Governor RN Ravi for his assent.

Stalin additionally questioned AIADMK for his or her sudden demand for the discharge of Muslim prisoners. “While in power you didn’t take any steps to release Muslim prisoners. You blindly supported CAA and NRC. We and the minority community clearly know why AIADMK is showing such affection towards Muslim prisoners now”, stated the CM.

On the opposite hand, BJP has objected to the demand. State BJP chief Ok Annamalai has cautioned the state authorities towards the untimely launch of the terrorists serving life imprisonment within the 1998 Coimbatore bomb blast case. Annamalai stated he believed that terrorism shouldn’t be confined to a faith or group.

In February 1998, a bomb blast by Radical Islamic Fundamentalists in a serene metropolis like Coimbatore led to the lack of 58 lives and injured over 200.

The SC final week caught down the bail utility filed by a couple of convicts on this case & reiterated it as an atrocious act. Despite…

— Ok.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) October 10, 2023

Annamalai wrote on X that he hoped good sense would prevail and Chief Minister M Ok Stalin would cease “his misadventure of releasing the radical Islamic fundamentalists” from jail.

Apart from political events, different organisations even have joined the demand. Several Muslim organisations held a protest in Chennai on Wednesday, 11 October, demanding the discharge of 36 Muslim prisoners serving jail phrases on terror expenses. The protest was led by the Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi (MJK), and it was organised outdoors the Triplicane mosque in Chennai, India Today reported.

Muslim Organisations held protests in Chennai for the discharge of 36 Muslim prisoners serving life imprisonment for greater than 20 years.#ReporterDiary (@PramodMadhav6) pic.twitter.com/Zi7TM9Uplt

— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) October 11, 2023

The Protestors additionally burnt the picture of CM MK Stalin and raised slogans towards the federal government. Later all of the protesters had been detained by the Chennai police.

General Secretary of Manidhaneya Jananayaka Katchi, Taminun Ansari stated “We held a protest today in Chennai demanding prisoners who served more than 20 years in Tamil Nadu prison should be released. We also thank the political parties who support our demand. We are shocked that the CM said in the Assembly that they have sent this to the Governor where already 22 bills are pending. We are going to siege the assembly now.”

“Rape convicts in Bilkis Bano case were prematurely released by the Gujarat government. They have no moral rights to speak about this”, Thameemul Ansari stated justifying the demand.