KOZHIKODE /T’PURAM /KOCHI /MALAPPURAM: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday raided the state headquarters of the Popular Front of India (PFI) in Kozhikode and residences of many of its national leaders in different parts of the state simultaneously, and seized documents and electronic gadgets.
While ED sources said the raids, also held in Thiruvananthapuram, Malappuram and Ernakulam districts and elsewhere in the country, were in connection with a case registered under Prevention of Money Laundering Act in 2018, PFI officials said the Union government was using its agencies to silence dissenting voices.
They added that with the raid, the Centre was trying to divert attention from the ongoing farmers’ protest in New Delhi. Raids were held at the headquarters in Meenchantha and at the residences of national chairman O M A Salam (Manjeri), national vicepresident P M Abdul Gafoor (near Edappally in Kochi), national secretary Nasarudheen Elamaram (Vazhakkad near Malappuram) and national executive council members Karamana Ashraf Moulavi (Poonthura near Thiruvananthapuram), P Koya (Karanthur in Kozhikode) and Abdul Rahman (Kalamassery).
‘What is ED trying to prove by seizing books during raids?’
The raid at the Meenchantha office in Kozhikode lasted till night during which the officials checked hard disks, income tax returns, audit papers and other financial transactions.The Enforcement Directorate officials said that though they did not get anything suspicious from the houses of Koya, Nasiruddin or Moulavi, the inspection at Meenchantha office lasted long as they sought clarification on a few points and had to scrutinise mismatches in the documents.
Nasiruddin was not convinced with the raid. “They have taken laptop and pen drives. Also two books on Islamic writings. We wonder why the ED should collect books during inspection and what they are trying to prove?” he asked.Popular Front of India (PFI) national secretary Mohammed Shakif said in a statement: “Simultaneous raids at the houses of PFI leaders across the country by the ED are politically motivated.
The Modi government is using investigative agencies as a weapon to silence political opponents. This has called into question the credibility of government systems. The farmers’ strike in Delhi has put a lot of pressure on the central government. The current ED raid is a political gimmick to divert attention from it.” PFI workers staged a protest Meenchantha and Poonthura while ED was carrying out the raid.