Kerala to probe PFI's 'civil courts'

The activities of radical Muslim outfit the Popular Front of India, whose cadres chopped off the hand of a college lecturer, continued to figure in the Kerala assembly on Tuesday with Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan announcing that a probe would be held into the functioning of religious committees run by the PFI in the state.

The government would take appropriate legal action if they were found to be violating the law of the land, Balakrishnan said while replying to a submission from Aryadan Muhammed (Congress) seeking a ban on the operation of Taliban style parallel courts in the state.

It has come to the notice of the government that certain committees headed by religious heads under the name 'Dar-ul-Khada' were resolving civil disputes within the Muslim community, the minister said.

However, the government has not received any complaint that these committees pass any Taliban style orders, he said.

As per information with the government, the PFI, whose activists attacked lecturer T J Joseph for preparing a question paper with derogatory references to Prophet Mohammed, has 20 feeder organisations, the minister said.

Advocating strong action against the PFI, Muhammed said the government should take serious note of media reports about the functioning of the Taliban style courts in the state.

Muhammed said in the assembly that the PFI, the National Development Front and the PDP of Abdul Nasser Madhani belonged to the same category of outfits and should be opposed.

Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan had, in the assembly on Monday, stood by his remark that the PFI was aiming at the 'Islamisation of Kerala'.