http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=376255&version=1&template_id=40&parent_id=22
Kerala's CM in tirade against militant group
Publish Date: Sunday,25 July, 2010, at 12:25 PM Doha Time
By Ashraf Padanna/Thiruvananthapuram
PFI rally held to protest what it calls a witch hunt against Muslims
The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in the southern Indian state of
Kerala yesterday came down heavily on the Muslim extremists and warned against
"attempts to create communal divide".
Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan alleged that the Popular Front of India (PFI)
was trying to "create a Muslim-majority country" through conversions "offering
money and girls in marriage" while Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said
attempts were on create friction among the communities.
Speaking after a meeting of the top brass of the state's police forces,
Balakrishnan said the government had decided to strengthen the police vigilance
and they had been instructed to take stringent action against troublemakers.
The meeting reviewed the progress of the investigation into the chopping off of
a professor's hand for allegedly setting a blasphemous question paper.
Police had picked up 15 activists of PFI, a Muslim outfit led mainly by the
former leaders of the outlawed Students Islamic Movement of India (PFI), which
had since denied any role in the "Taliban-style punishment".
"Vast majority of Muslims are peace-loving and they are against PFI. The
investigation is progressing on the right track and we hope to arrest the real
culprits soon," the minister said denying allegations of police targeting the
Muslim community.
He said Kerala remains peaceful and different communities are living in harmony
when compared to other Indian states and the LDF government did not believe in
communal profiling of extremists "as people like Narendra Modi do".
"The incident was not a mere attack on an individual but part of an attempt to
instigate Muslims against other communities and make political capital out of
it," he said. "Some of them are trying to experiment if terrorism can be
propagated in the name of religion".
T J Joseph, Malayalam language head of the Newman College in Thodupuzha, was
out on bail after his arrest in the question paper case when he was attacked
while returning from church with his mother and sister on July 4 and he is
recovering after suturing the severed hand.
All mainstream Muslim organisations had condemned the attack and distanced
themselves from PFI, which has recently been gaining strength in the southern
states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The group has also launched a
political outfit Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) which was gearing up
to contest the civic polls in September. Police conducted extensive raids on
PFI offices, including its head office in Kozhikode and regional office in
Ernakulam, and confiscated some books and CDs allegedly containing
"inflammatory materials". In New Delhi, Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan made
some shocking allegations against the PFI saying the group was making efforts
to convert Kerala into a Muslim-majority region in the next 20 years by
"converting youngsters by offering money and Muslim girls in marriage".
"Police are closely watching their activities and attempts at intruding secular
organisations and their programmes like Independence Day parade. They are also
recruiting youngsters using money to kill the opponents," he said.
The PFI meanwhile protested "police atrocities towards Muslim youth under the
pretext of investigation" and warned the government, police and media of "dire
consequences if they continue their witch hunt".
"There is a wider conspiracy behind the ongoing raids in offices and houses of
PFI activists. There is a concerted attempt to destroy PFI, which is gaining
wide popularity, irrespective of cast and creed," PFI state president
Nasirudheen Elamaram said.
He said his party had always cooperated with police and other authorities
enforcing law and order what was going on now was an "attempt to terrorise
minority society and marginalise them by spreading rumours and fake
allegations".
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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