New Delhi: Amid the ongoing crackdown by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) agaisnt Popular Front of India (PFI) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) in its “largest ever anti-terror operation”, the outfit has condemned the action saying that it is “aimed at creating atmosphere of terror”, reported news agency ANI. 


Dubbing the raids as “witch-hunting” against its members and supporters, it said in a statement: “ Popular Front of India's National Executive Council has condemned the nationwide raids by NIA-ED, unjust arrests and harassments of its leaders and the witch-hunting against members and supporters of the organisation.”


“NIA's baseless claims are solely aimed at creating an atmosphere of terror,” it added. 






The SDPI has also condemned the action by NIA and ED said that a “shadow enemy of the country” is being created by the government. 


“MK Faizy, National President of the Social Democratic Party of India strongly slammed the raids in the residences and offices of the Popular Front of India, and the arrest of its leaders in the wee hours today. The craven fascist regime that has completely failed in the development of the nation is creating a shadow enemy of the country to cover up their failure in governance,” it said in a statement. 


In “largest ever anti-terror operation” the NIA and Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches  at the residences and offices of PFI workers across 11 states and arrested 106 persons for allegedly being involved in anti-national activities.


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Of the 106 people arrested by the agencies from 11 states, maximum number of arrests were made from Kerala with 22 people followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka (20 each), Tamil Nadu (10), Assam (9), Uttar Pradesh (8), Andhra Pradesh (5), Madhya Pradesh (4), Delhi and Puducherry (3 each), and Rajasthan (2). 


As many as 14 office-bearers of the PFI, including national, state and district leaders, were taken into custody from the state by the central agencies, reported news agency PTI. PFI state president C P Mohammed Basheer, national chairman O M A Salam, national secretary Nasaruddin Elamaram and others were among those in custody, as per the report.






Following raids by the investigation agencies, the PFI staged protests across Kerala as the workers took out marches to the places where the raids were carried out and raised slogans against the Centre and its investigating agencies amid deployment of security forces. 


Some PFI workers were detained in Kannur after they tried to block a road in order to protest against the NIA raids. 


SDPI workers in Andhra Pradesh also raised slogans of "NIA Go Back" to protest against the NIA raid at the residence of an SDPI leader in Kurnool district.



(With inputs from ANI and PTI)