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ShareCHENNAI: Opposing the Tamil Nadu government's decision to release 1405 life-convicts on the occasion of DMK founder C N Annadurai's birth centenary on September 15, Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy on Saturday said he will challenge the order in the Supreme Court.
In a statement here, he termed the move as "unconstitutional and dangerous to public order."
The decision was not recommended by the Tamil Nadu Prison Advisory Board, "but was effected by by-passing," it,he said.
"The Tamil Nadu cabinet passed a resolution and got the pardon issued under Article 161 by Governor Surjit Singh Barnala," he said adding this would completely undermine the respect for law and justice in the state.
He said the Supreme Court had stayed a similar order by the Andhra Pradesh government releasing about 1500 prisoners in August 2007 and asserted he would move the apex court.
Meanwhile, the Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners (CRPP) welcomed the state government's decision, but wanted the government to change the guidelines issued in this regard to streamline remission of sentence for prisoners.
The Tamil Nadu government had announced on Friday that prisoners who had completed seven years of jail term on September 15 and those over 60 years and had served five years in jail, would be released on Annadurai's birth centenary.
