23 Sept 2022: PFI or Popular Front of India called for Kerala Strike today. NIA conducted simultaneous searches in 15 states yesterday. 45 PFI leaders were arrested yesterday on charges of joining militancy, supporting militancy and providing financial support to militancy. In protest against that, the Kerala bandh was called today by the organization.
PFI supporters are protesting in Kerala today against the massive NIA crackdown. And this protest took the form of a battlefield. There were incidents of vandalism and violence in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kozhikode and Alappuzha. Stones were thrown at the police. Kerala High Court issued Suomoto ‘Notice’ against PFI leaders in this incident. The court ordered immediate action against this attack in the name of protest. Strikes without notice are already prohibited. The High Court said that at least seven days prior notice should be given.
An auto-rickshaw and a four-wheeler were reportedly vandalized by supporters during the strike across the state. A Kerala State Road Transport Corporation bus was also damaged. A vehicle was carrying newspapers in Narayanpara area of Kannur district. Petrol bombs were fired at it. There have been several other incidents of vehicle damage. A 15-year-old girl and an auto-rickshaw driver were injured in the stone-pelting incident. Two policemen named Antony and Nikhil were also injured in the attack by PFI supporters. It is known that the PFI also attacked the BJP headquarters in Coimbatore. Allegedly, Protal bombs were thrown.
Incidentally, the ED had started a search operation at 93 places in 15 states from yesterday morning. About 300 NIA officers conducted simultaneous searches in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, West Bengal, Bihar, Manipur. The entire operation was supervised by the DG of NIA.
A total of 106 PFI members have been arrested in 5 cases filed. 45 of them are leaders. Maximum arrests are from Kerala. 19 people have been arrested there. Then there is Tamil Nadu. 11 people were arrested from there. 7 persons were arrested from Karnataka, 4 from Andhra Pradesh, 2 from Rajasthan, 1 each from Telangana and Uttar Pradesh. A total of 61 cadres were arrested by ED and police.
The NIA alleged that PFI leaders organized militant activities and militant training camps at multiple locations. They also trained in weapons. A lot of money, weapons and huge digital devices were recovered during the search. Members of the organization staged protests in Kerala and Karnataka against the NIA raid. They also raised slogans against the Modi government. The organization has called for a 12-hour strike in Kerala on Friday in protest.
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