Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Home Minister
Kodiyeri Balakrishnan today said religious extremism in the
state gained the present form with the formation of Muslim
radical outfit National Development Front (NDF) in 1993 which
later became PFI, now under scanner for the chopping off the
hand of a college lecturer.
In a statement here, Balakrishnan said the PFI, its politcal
wing Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), and various
feeder outfits in its network had become a big threat to
communal harmony by organising it activities in the name of
Islam, whose true message was that of peace.
Besides the attack on College lecturer T J Joseph in
Muvvattupuzha, the PFI had been involved in 22 murder cases
and 73 attempt to murder cases so far, he said.
The `Freedom Parades" organised by PFI since 2004 was part
of its psychological war against its adversaries by show of
strength. So, this could not be seen as a "celebration of
freedom" on the Independence day, he said.
Now an inter-state network, the PFI was formed through
merger of NDF in Kerala, Manitha Neethi Pasare in Tamil Nadu
and Forum for Dignity in Karnataka in 2007. The PFI was
registered in Karnataka and later launched SDPI as a political
arm.
As many as 20 frontal outfits had been organised under it
in various sectors like education, human rights, environment
protection, women forum and lawyers forum.
Balakrishnan alleged the outfit gained strengthened due to
the appeasement policy of the Congress-led UDF Government
which was in power the 1990s and later in 2001-06.
The ideals propagated by its literature clearly stated that
nothing less than a religion-based state was its ultimate
goal.
It was a big irony that this outfit was trying create
hatred in the society in the name of a faith which set
peace as its main objective, Balakrishnan said.
-PTI
