Will fight against raids and arrests legally and democratically: PFI leader

Chennai

PFI Tamil Nadu unit president Mohamed Shaik Ansari on Sunday said the organisation had resolved to fight the NIA action against its functionaries “legally and democratically”.

Against the backdrop of Molotov cocktail attacks on properties of BJP and RSS functionaries, he claimed that right wing organisations had a tendency to fake such attacks for political gain. [The police on Sunday arrested some functionaries of the SDPI, an affiliate of the PFI, in connection with some of these incidents, and contended that their role was established based on CCTV camera footage.]

Mr. Ansari, however, claimed that the allegations of the PFI’s involvement in violent attacks were being made at a time when it “has gained support from democratic forces” against the actions of the ED and the NIA.

“There is no need to write the judgment on these attacks prematurely. The police and intelligence agencies should probe whether there are other organisations involved in these attacks. The PFI doesn’t have any history (of violent attacks), and we have nothing to gain at a time when we have democratic support from all quarters,” he told The Hindu. “These raids are not going to stop with the PFI,” he added.

“There was an incident of a person who cut his own arm and got himself admitted to a hospital, claiming he was a victim of a terror attack. Another office-bearer (of a right wing outfit) claimed he was abducted to get personal security, and there was an instance of a person setting fire to his own car. So, we have doubts whether they are trying to make sure that it (faking attacks) would support the actions of the Central agencies,” he said.

When asked if he could categorically deny the involvement of PFI cadre in the attacks since Thursday, Mr. Ansari said, “Many have been arrested under suspicion. The State government and the Police Department must understand that only BJP leaders have been making these allegations. The police should not act on the pressure exerted by them, and should conduct a fair probe. Let us wait for the law enforcement agencies to complete their investigation.”

According to him, the PFI is an organisation that opposes fascist ideology and supports democracy and secularism.