Tight security as dawn-to-dusk Kerala bandh called by PFI begins

New Delhi, Sep 23: The dawn to dusk Kerala bandh called by the Popular Front of India (PFI) has begun. There have been some incidents of stone pelting in some areas in the state.

The bandh was called by the PFI after its top leaders were arrested in a massive country wide raid on Thursday. The Kerala police said that they have stepped up security in the state apart from issuing directions to the district police chiefs to ensure law and order.

Stern action will be taken against those breaking the law, the police have said.

The bandh began at 6 am and will be in force until 6 pm. The state run KSRTC said that it would operate services as usual and special services to hospitals, airports and railways stations will be arranged if the need be.

22 PFI leaders from Kerala were arrested following the joint raids by the National Investigation Agency and Enforcement Directorate on Thursday. Following this PFI workers took to the streets to protest the raids.

The raid was in connection with a case of terror funding. During the raids the PFI's chairman O M A Salam, national secretary Nasaruddin Elamaram and Kerala president C P Mohammed Basheer were arrested.

A high level meeting was chaired by Union Home Minister, Amit Shah and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval along with the intelligence chiefs.

The India Tanjim Ulema-e-Islam, Kul Hind Markazi Imam Council and Muslim Students Organisation of India (MSO) have urged the youth to reman patient and said that it is important to copy with the law.

"Try to understand the functioning of the ED. It does not reach the spot when an incident happens. Its role comes into the picture only after it emerges that the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has been violated in a case. The ED never comes into the picture directly. It comes when there is a doubt that money laundering has happened," Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman said.