Under fire over the attack on a lecturer by its cadres,the Popular Front of India (PFI) is trying to paint police action as a witch hunt against Muslims. The police have raided PFI offices,houses of its activists and taken many into custody during the past one week. PFIs mouthpiece Thejas has carried two editorials and scores of articles criticising the police. While deploring the chopping off the hand of the lecturer in a single sentence in its editorial, it has hinted that the attack was commensurate with the insult to the religious sentiments of the community by lecturer T J Joseph. He was accused of insulting the Prophet in a question paper he set for an exam. Police and communal elements in the mainstream media are trying to demean the community. The lecturer who had insulted the Prophet had been under threat. The police failed to ensure his protection, said one of the editorials. In another editorial,Thejas said that the incident had once again exposed the torture of the community in cases where Muslims are the accused. The attack was an outcome of the deeply insulted religious sentiments. If the police turn torturers. the repercussions would be dangerous. The police action against the PFI has endangered the peaceful life of the Muslims. One of the articles pointed out that the recent issues of love jihad and the insult to the Prophet had thrust a wedge between the Muslims and Christians in the state. Thejas has also questioned the police version that PFI had shown an extra interest in the naval show held in Kochi last year. The show was open to the public, the daily noted. The daily has also lambasted the government. The police seemed to have jettisoned the case pertaining to the attack,instead the force has been trying to paint the PFI as a terror outfit.
