KOZHIKODE: PFI has disowned the controversial ‘hate slogan’ raised by a boy during the rally of the organisation in Alappuzha on May 21. Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, PFI state president C P Muhammad Basheer, however, denied the allegation that the slogan was against certain communities.
Basheer said the slogan was not part of the printed ones distributed by the PFI to those who participated in the rally. “A few lines in the slogan were inappropriate but it was not against any community as being alleged by the Sangh Parivar,” he said. “This will become clear if the slogan is examined in its entirety.
But some media selected the version edited by the Sangh Parivar,” the PFI leader said. Basheer said the Sangh Parivar and a section of the media are conducting a smear campaign using the slogan as a cover.
PFI also resented registering a case in the incident saying that the police have shown undue haste in acting in the incident while going soft on continuous hate campaigns by others. The PFI has decided to hold protest meetings in all districts against the ‘move by the police to silence criticism against the RSS.’
Activist arrested
Alappuzha: The Alappuzha South police on Tuesday arrested a PFI activist in connection with the ‘hate slogan.’ Station house officer S Arun said that the arrested is Anzar Najeeb, a native of Erattupetta, Kottayam. He had carried the child, who raised the ‘hate slogan’ during the rally, on his shoulder. “We have also taken Navas Vandanam, district president of PFI, into custody.
Based on the complaint of Abhibhashaka Parishad, an organisation of lawyers, a case was registered under Section 153 A of the IPC. PFI district secretary Mujeeb has been named as another accused in the case. We could not yet identify the child and his parents,” police said.