PFI Protests Against Police Action in Mysore

MANGALORE, Jul 12 (The Hindu): The activists of the Islamist organisation, Popular Front of India (PFI), held a protest meeting in front of Deputy Commissioner’ s office here on Saturday against the alleged high handedness of the police in Mysore.
The agitators raised slogans against the State Government and Hindutva organisations and charged the latter with being responsible for the violence in Mysore.
They demanded the release of PFI leaders, who were arrested in connection with the rioting and violence in Mysore. Terming the arrests an act of vindictiveness by the Government, the protestors claimed that the arrested leaders were innocent.
A grim situation arose during the meeting with a large police force, dressed in riot gear, keeping a tab on the proceedings.
Mohammed Sharief from the India Fraternity Forum alleged that the situation in Mysore worsened after some senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders visited the city. Warning of intensifying the agitation against the alleged fascist policies of the BJP, he said that PFI was a national-level organisation and it could not be stifled by State Government.
CBI probe demanded
Udupi Staff Correspondent reports: The activists of Udupi district unit of Popular Front of India (PFI) staged a dharna in front of Deputy Commissioner’ s Office here on Saturday demanding release of the arrested PFI leaders and a CBI probe into the Mysore riots.
Writer G. Rajashekhar said that the riots in Mysore were an attack on democracy and an attempt at making a minority community responsible for the riots there. The police officers should make public the charges levelled against the arrested leaders before booking them.
It was essential to ban the sangh parivar as it was trying to inflame communal passions. The riots were a systematic handiwork of the BJP government, he said.
President of Kaup Zone of PFI Niyamat Ali spoke. Dalit Sangharsha Samiti leader Jayan Malpe criticised the BJP government for arresting the PFI leaders.
Later, PFI activists submitted a memorandum addressed to Governor H.R. Bhardwaj at the Deputy Commissioner’ s office.