PFI hartal in Kerala today: Shutdown won't impact essential services [details]

Name: PFI hartal in Kerala today: Shutdown won't impact essential services [details]
Uploaded: 2022-09-23T05:25:35+05:30
Duration: 3 min 57 s
Description: The BJP in Kerala has called the proposed hartal by PFI "unnecessary" and urged the state government to take strict measures to prevent it from being observed.

The BJP in Kerala has called the proposed hartal by PFI "unnecessary" and urged the state government to take strict measures to prevent it from being observed.

TN National Desk

Updated Sep 23, 2022, 05:25 IST

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Kerala BJP chief K Surendran said that all previous PFI hartals resulted in riots
Further, he urged Kerala authorities to provide adequate security on Friday
Surendran claimed that the PFI was relying on muscle power to deal with terrorism cases and asked its leadership to remember that India is a democracy and not a religious nation

Thiruvananthapuram: The Popular Front of India (PFI) will on Friday observe a dawn-to-dusk hartal in Kerala to register its strong protest against the raids carried out by multi-agencies led by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on the offices of the organisation, houses of its leaders and other premises for allegedly supporting terror activities in the country.

Protests against the raids were held by PFI activists across Kerala on Thursday.

In a statement, the PFI said its state committee observed that the arrest of its leaders was part of "state-sponsored terrorism".

"A hartal will be observed in the state on September 23 against the RSS-controlled fascist government's attempt to silence dissenting voices using the central agencies," said A Abdul Sathar, the state general secretary, PFI, on Thursday.

According to the statement, the hartal will take place from 6 am to 6 pm. During the shutdown, basic and essential services will not be affected, reported news agency IANS.

PFI workers took part in marches to the places where the raids were conducted in the wee hours of Thursday and raised slogans against the Centre and its investigating agencies.

In all such places, however, central forces were already in place to enhance security.

News agency PTI mentioned PFI sources as saying that protest marches were held in almost all districts, including Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kollam, Kottayam, and Thrissur.

"The searches were mainly carried out in the offices of the state and district committees and the houses of its office-bearers. Though initially, we thought the searches were conducted by the Enforcement Directorate, it has become clear later that it was by the NIA," the source told PTI.

The source added that the central agencies arrested 14 office-bearers of the PFI, including PFI state president CP Mohammed Basheer, national chairman OMA Salam, national secretary Nasaruddin Elamaram, from Kerala.

The residence of a Thrissur-based Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) leader was also raided, said Ashraf Maulavi, the outfit's state president.

"Through such deeds, the Centre is actually indulging in anti-constitutional activities. The public society should raise its voice against such practices to protect the country," he said.

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