More than 5,000 members of the Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam and its political outfit the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi on Sunday staged a protest in front of the South Taluk office demanding release of convict prisoners who had served more than 10 years.
The protesters, of whom 1,300 were women, said that there were 49 Muslim prisoners who had spent more than 18 years in prisons in the State. They were being treated as second class citizens and they should be released.
Likewise, Perarivalan and a few other prisoners who were incarcerated for more than 23 years should also be released.
State president of TMMK J.S. Rifayee said that there had been instances of the State Government releasing convict prisoners on the eve of birth anniversaries of former chief ministers. The same rule should apply to Muslim prisoners as well. Highlighting the case of convict prisoner in Coimbatore, Abu Thahir, Mr. Rifayee said that he had undergone dialysis 600 times and had nearly lost his vision.
But the government had thus far failed to release him for good conduct or humanitarian grounds. He added that this would be an important issue on which the MMK would negotiate its alliance for the ensuing Assembly elections.
