Release 37 Muslim prisoners in a month or face protest at the Secretariat, says TMMK

Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam president and Papanasam MLA M.H. Jawahirullah urged the Tamil Nadu government to release within a month 37 Muslims jailed for more than 20 years in the State

Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK) president and Papanasam MLA M.H. Jawahirullah on Sunday urged the Tamil Nadu government to release within a month 37 Muslims jailed for more than 20 years in the State.

If they were not released, the Muslim community would be forced to stage a protest in front of the Secretariat, he said.

Addressing a huge gathering of Muslims, including a large number of women, at a protest held near the Central Jail, Prof. Jawahirullah expressed disgust over what he described as the “raw deal” to the Muslim prisoners vis-a-vis other life convicts in deciding on premature release. The release of the Muslim life convicts was a poll promise of the DMK because of which the entire community supported the party, he said.

While 17 of these prisoners were convicted in the 1998 Coimbatore serial blast case, the others were convicted in murder cases of communal nature from 1987 to 1995.

“Muslims in Tamil Nadu will continue to support the government if it releases the Justice Authinathan Committee report on the premature release of life convicts and acts on its recommendations,” Prof. Jawahirullah said.

According to him, unlike some other parties, the TMMK had stood by the DMK, even after it was denied a chance to contest in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, in the larger interests of the country and the State and paved the way for its thumping victory. “We are not asking for mercy or favour, but for human rights,” the TMMK leader said.