Chief Minister M K Stalin accused the previous AIADMK regime of neglecting the issue of premature release of Muslim life-term convicts during their ten years in power.
Speaking in the State Assembly, he pledged to release all eligible life-term prisoners on remission once approved by the Tamilnadu Governor.
Stalin’s remarks came in response to a special call attention motion initiated by Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami and others regarding the release of Muslim life-term convicts.
The Chief Minister questioned the AIADMK’s previous inaction, asking why they had not addressed this issue during their decade-long rule. He also pointed out the AIADMK’s decision to release certain convicts in the past while not making any efforts to release Muslim prisoners.
Stalin further criticised the AIADMK for their perceived shift in stance, suggesting that their newfound interest in the release of Muslim prisoners was due to political motives. He asserted that the minority community was well aware of these motives.
Stalin highlighted the recommendations of the Justice N Authinathan committee, which had suggested the release of 264 life-term prisoners in Tamil Nadu. He stated that his government had recommended the premature release of 49 individuals, including 20 Muslim prisoners, in the first phase. These recommendations were sent to the Governor for approval, and upon receiving consent, the mentioned prisoners would be released.
The Chief Minister assured the Assembly that follow-up actions would be taken for the release of other life-term prisoners recommended for remission by the Authinathan committee. He also noted that, to date, 335 life-term convicts, including nine Muslim convicts, had been released based on the Advisory Board scheme, health conditions, and court orders.
Stalin concluded by dispelling any notion that his government was not taking action to release Muslim convicts, emphasizing that certain individuals were attempting to create a false narrative around the issue.