Following the arrest of numerous members of the Popular Front of India (PFI) by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), their followers are causing a commotion on the streets in the name of ‘hartal’ and ‘bandh.’
An incident of vandalism has occurred in the BJP office in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Apart from this, two PFI workers were reported to have thrown petrol bombs at the RSS office in Mattanur, Kannur.
Stone-pelting incidents have been reported around the state, according to police. Two police officers were attacked by PFI hartal supporters earlier today in Pallimukku, Kollam district.
Hartal supporters were seen throwing stones at a Kerala State Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus in Panamaram village, Wayanad district. The bus was on its way to Kozhikode. In addition, stones were hurled on KSRTC buses in Kozhikode, Kochi, Alappuzha, and Kollam. An autorickshaw and a car were seen in a damaged state in the state capital of Thiruvananthapuram after being attacked by PFI workers in Poonthura.
The PFI workers have called for a ‘Kerala Bandh’ on Friday (23 September 2022) from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in protest of the raids in the terror funding case. Meanwhile, these people are causing disturbances all over the state.
The state government has increased police deployment in response to the violent PFI protests. The Kerala High Court has taken suo moto cognizance of the leaders of the Popular Front of India (PFI) for declaring a bandh in the state. According to the High Court ruling, no one in the state may declare a bandh without permission.
It is worth noting that the National Investigation Agency detained the National President of the Popular Front of India (PFI), OMS Salam, and the Delhi President of the same organization, Parvez Ahmed, on September 22, 2022. PFI workers took to the streets in several parts of the country to condemn the raids and arrests. In this wake, the security of the NIA office in Delhi has been tightened.