TN Police to seal PFI offices, arrests to follow

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu police is set to seal the Popular Front of India (PFI) offices across the state in the wake of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) banning it and its affiliated organisations.

On September 22, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) swooped down on the PFI and its leadership across 15 states. The national agency recorded the arrest of 45 people, including its national chairman, OMA Salam, national general secretary, Nasarudhin Elamaram, its intellectual face, Prof P. Koya.

Sources in the state home ministry told IANS that the home secretary of Tamil Nadu would soon issue a circular leading to the sealing of the offices of PFI and its affiliated organisations like the Campus Front of India, Women's Front of India, Rehab Foundation of India, and others.

A senior officer with the Tamil Nadu Police told IANS that there would be arrests in many cases that are registered against the PFI functionaries.

While the ban on the PFI is announced, political observers said that other than putting a break in the functioning of the ideology for some time, the ban will not be able to bring in a radical change.

Abdul Sathar, a businessman and a social activist while speaking to IANS from Tambaram, Chennai said, "The PFI in fact invited this ban. The actions and the programmes of the organisation led to Centre banning it.

However, I feel that just like SIMI reappeared, these organisations would soon regroup in a different colour and name. But definitely, brakes have been applied, and also the whole top brass of the PFI being behind bars will make regrouping exercise a bit difficult."

The PFI has been charged with establishing ties with even IS and also radical organisations in Bangladesh.