The Ministry of Home Affairs in a precautionary move has decided to provide ‘Z’ category security to Supreme Court Justice S Abdul Nazeer, who was a part of the 5 member apex court bench which had pronounced the Ayodhya verdict last week. This move by the central government comes in the wake of threats from the Popular Front of India (PFI), which has been protesting against the Supreme Court judgement which gave the possession of Ram Janmbhoomi site back to the Hindu side.
According to ANI, the security forces and local police will ‘immediately’ provide ‘Z’ category security to Justice Nazeer and his family “in view of the threat from PFI and other quarters, as reported by the security agencies”. ‘Z’ category security cover includes as many as 22 personnel of paramilitary and police forces to escort a person.
Nonetheless, threat to life of a judge of the Supreme Court for performing his constitutional duty is certainly a worrying trend which not only raises sharp questions on functioning of organisations like PFI but also call into question their respect for the Indian Constitution. However, for PFI this is not the first time, when the radical organisation mainly operating out of southern regions of India is in the spotlight for such serious issue.
PFI, currently under investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for various serious charges, was banned by the Jharkhand government over their alleged links with the Islamic State (IS).
“The state has banned the Popular Front of India, which is active in Jharkhand, under the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1908. The Home Department had recommended the ban…The PFI is very active in Pakur district. The members of the PFI, which was set up in Kerala, are influenced by the IS. According to the Home Department report, some PFI members have even gone to Syria from southern states and are working for the IS,” the statement read. The PFI has been banned under section 16 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1908.
For PFI, despite being under the scanner for such serious charges there has been no dearth of political support from leaders of the Congress and other alleged secular party leaders, who on a number of occasions have been seen not only mingling but also promoting the radical organisation and its political wing SDPI.
In a sting operation earlier, before the 2019 general elections, it had emerged that Rahul Gandhi was being supported by the controversial Social Democratic party of India (SDPI), which is considered the political arm of the notorious Popular Front of India (PFI). CCTV visuals of an alleged meeting between the leadership of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a close ally of the Congress in Kerala, and the leaders of the PFI and SDPI had surfaced then, which further raised suspicion on Congress taking support of controversial PFI and SDPI for Rahul Gandhi’s southern electoral detour through Wayanad.
Earlier, former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah had also refused to ban the radical organisation in Karnataka despite attacks on RSS members, indicating towards the underlying patronage enjoyed by the PFI in Congress ruled Karnataka. In 2017, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh also met PFI leader Moulana Rafeeq along with several leaders of the Muslim community.
Former Vice President Hamdi Ansari was also called out for attending an event organised by the radical organisation in 2017. He attend an event organised by National Women’s Front (NWF), the women’s wing of PFI. In the event, Ansari also handed over a memento to PFI India Chairman E Aboobacker. Reports have also surfaced of PFI members joining ISIS, noting a similar incident Kerala state police had noted, “Two ‘PFI members K Sajjad and Anwar Poothappara went missing along with their families on November 19 after they told their relatives that they were going to Mysuru. TP Nisam, another youth from Kuruva in Kannur, has also been reported to be missing, and is believed to have joined the group.”
PFI has essentially been challenging the Indian constitution for long, earlier in a foiled attempt to kidnap a Hindu Girl in Kerala after the parents of the girl had contacted the Hindu helpline, PFI had put up posters across the state directly challenging the police and declaring their intent to Kidnap the Girl and selling her to ISIS. The posters roughly translated to –
“DEAR SPINELESS POLICE,WHICH BOWS DOWN TO SANGHI FORCES, WE HAVE DECIDED TO TAKE SHRUTI. WE WILL TAKE HER TO SYRIA OR YEMEN AND GIFT HER TO ISIS. DO WHAT YOU CAN, LET US SEE IF YOU CAN STOP US!”
-POPULAR FRONT OF INDIA”
Reports of PFI forming its own ‘army’ and their direct links with Pakistan’s ISI have also surfaced. Such a radical organisation operating freely and posing danger to national security and the Indian ethos certainly calls for firm action by the government agencies to curb their subversive activities. Moreover, one of the larger political group, the Congress openly mingling which such an outfit is also worrying, however it remains to be seen how the security forces tackle this challenge of such organisations which have devised nefarious plans to exploit the open and welcoming nature of Indian society and democracy to forward their radical agenda.
