Molotov cocktails, stone pelting, damaged buses: Kerala PFI protests turn violent after NIA raids

The PFI’s bandh on Friday saw incidents of its supporters hurling Molotov cocktails at a KSRTC bus near Kannur, and stone-pelting at and attacking of KSRTC buses in general in various places in the state.

The bandh, which started around 6 am on Friday, saw a massive outpouring of rage in which the members of the PFI also attacked police officers at Pallimukku in the Kollam district.

It was a 12-hour bandh, and an autorickshaw and a car were damaged by protesters in the state capital Thiruvananthapuram, where they turned violent in Poonthura.

In at least five districts, the protesters damaged the windshields of buses and left one KSRTC driver injured.

Amid the outrage, one KSRTC bus driver operated his vehicle wearing a helmet to shield himself from injuries.

The PFI members allegedly damaged the public transport bus during the protest in the state. (Supplied)

The protesters damaged as many as 65 buses across the state.

An incident of protesters vandalising a grocery shop near Thiruvananthapuram was also reported.

The protesters also hurled country bombs at an RSS office at Mattannur in the Kannur district. However, nobody was hurt in the attack.

The PFI also called upon the “democratic believers” to participate in the bandh, called against the “fascist regime that crushed the civil rights”.

As many as 65 buses in the state damaged y the protesters during the bandh. (Supplied)

The statewide bandh also left many passengers from Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the lurch, as no buses were plying.

Several passengers at the Coimbatore bus stand returned home when they came to know about the bandh.

Considering the law and order situation, the Kerala High Court initiated suo motu contempt proceedings against the PFI leaders for the violent protests in the state.

A 2019 order from the court states that nobody can call for a bandh without giving public notice of seven days.

A division bench of Kerala High Court Justices AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Mohammed Nias CP noted back then that the court banned hartals in an order passed In January 2019.

The two-judge bench also said, “The action of the persons above in calling for the bandh without following the procedure contemplated in our earlier order, prima facie, amounts to contempt of the directions of this court” and directed the state police to ensure that adequate measures are put in place to prevent damage to property of those who are not supporting the bandh.

The court also directed the state government to take stern action against the protesters for violating its order.

Meanwhile, the family members of the arrested PFI leader from the Coimbatore district told South First that the Union government was continuing to act against innocent Muslims, and termed the BJP-led government fascist, adding that they would get a befitting reply.