Chennai, Oct 12 (IANS): AIADMK interim general secretary and opposition leader, Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) has questioned the effectiveness of the much-flaunted project of the state police 'Operation Minnal', a lighting drive against rowdies and history-sheeters in the state.

The former Chief Minister in a statement on Wednesday said that the state government has let off 2,390 history-sheeters from prisons across the state after taking an undertaking from them. He asked whether the state police were monitoring these people after getting discharged from jail.

He also referred to the robbery at the ancestral home of an Inspector General of Police in Uthukottai, Tiruvallur district, and wondered whether the police were effective in nabbing the rowdies under Operation Minnal programme.

Palaniswami also referred to the Director General of Police, C. Sylendra Babu's statement that in 72 hours the state police have arrested 3,905 rowdies under the 'Operation Minnal', and of the arrested, 705 were jailed. The AIADMK leader wondered how the theft had taken place in the residence of an Inspector General if these many rowdies were rounded up.

He called upon the state government to keep a tab on the history-sheeters who were released and the growing crime reported from various districts of the state.