The Kerala High Court on Friday observed that the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Popular Front of India (PFI) are extremist organisations indulging in serious acts of violence.
“However, these are not banned organisations,” it said while dismissing the plea seeking a CBI probe into the murder of RSS worker Sanjith in Palakkad, according to a report by New Indian Express. The verdict pronounced on 5 May, was publicised on Thursday.
According to the report, Justice K Haripal made the observation while dismissing the petition filed by S Arshika, wife of Sanjith.
She claimed that Sanjith was the secretary of RSS Thenari Mandalam in Elappully and an eyesore of PFI and SDPI, both known organisations indulging in propagating extremist ideologies. Sanjith tried to maintain peace between communities and was against extremist groups. “SDPI and PFI are engaged in the conversion of people from other communities to Islam by threat, coercion and intimidation,” she said. Sanjith’s death is the result of a larger conspiracy by SDPI and PFI, but the investigating agency did not conduct a proper probe, she said. The police said the accused are SDPI activists.
Earlier, the state had opposed the plea saying it has arrested all the accused and that if any new agency comes in, it will have to carry out the entire process again which would delay filing of the final report and in the meanwhile, the accused might get out on bail.
What is the case about?
A Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker, identified as 27-year old Sanjith, was hacked to death in Mambaram in Palakkad district on 15 November last year. Police said, the man worked in a private firm and was hacked to death in front of his wife at around 9 am when he was taking her to her workplace on his bike. His wife escaped unhurt. Later police arrested several SDPI workers in connection with the case.
SDPI & PFI
The SDPI, the political face of the Popular Front of India (PFI), which in Kerala was formerly known as the National Development Front (NDF), has gained support in the last decade.
PFI claims it aims to protect minority rights, not just for Muslims but other marginalised people too. The PFI was formed in 2006 with the merger of three outfits in south India: the Kerala-based National Development Front (NDF), the Karnataka Forum for Dignity (KFD), and the Manitha Neethi Parasai (MNP) in Tamil Nadu.
PFI’s predecessor the NDF was formed in 1993, during the tumultuous years following the Babri Masjid demolition.
However, PFI is believed to be the resurrection of the banned Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) which was involved in several terror attacks, including the series of blasts in Mumbai between 2002 and 2003. Many of the PFI founder members were SIMI leaders.
The PFI calls itself a socio-political ‘movement’. It has a strong cadre base like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sanghand employs the same model of training, education, leadership, management, and mobilisation as the saffron outfit which PFI is supposed to be a counter to.
The PFI does not contest elections, but the Social Democratic Party of India (backed by the PFI) does.
PFI has its roots in southern India, but over the years it has spread across the country, shifting its headquarters from Kerala to New Delhi. After its inception in 2006, the PFI expanded again between 2009 and 2012 when Goa’s Citizen’s forum, Rajasthan’s Community Social and Educational Society, West Bengal’s Nagarik Adhikar Suraksha Samiti, Manipur’s Lilong Social Forum, and Andhra Pradesh’s Association of Social Justice merged into the outfit.
In Karnataka, the BJP, Congress, and JD(S) have called for a ban on SDPI but India has no provision to ban a political party.
Consequences
Recently, a PFI leader Subair was murder on 15 April. Police found out that he was killed to allegedly avenge the murder of Sanjith.
Subair’s murder led to the retaliatory killing of RSS leader S K Srinivasan (45) on 16 April in Palakkad, police said.
With input from agencies
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