Kerala: PFI to conduct massive Save the Republic rally in Alappuzha today

Hours ahead of the rally, Bajrang Dal workers took out a “shaurya rally” in Alappuzha, as a counter-campaign, saying “the country cannot be consigned to anti-nationals and religious terrorists”.

The Hindu outfit wanted to take out its rally in the evening, but advanced it to the morning following police intervention to avoid a law and order situation. Last year, Alappuzha witnessed the killing of a state leader of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political wing of the PFI, and subsequently the killing of a state BJP leader in revenge within 12 hours.

The PFI’s Save the Republic campaign, which began on January 26 this year, has got a fresh surge of energy with the Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque case.

PFI leader and the rally’s organising convener Yahiya Thangal said the RSS-led Union government has converted India into a burial ground for democracy. “Indian Muslims are on the brink of a genocide. Sanyasi meetings have been reduced to debates about Muslim genocide. In Kerala, even former legislators, who are part of secular and democratic parties, have been uttering hate against Muslims,” he said.

Thangal said PFI would not admit the RSS stand that Muslims in the country should live at the mercy of the Sangh Parivar. “We are going to have a very strong campaign against the RSS. The Save the Republic campaign will continue till August this year. After Saturday’s rally in Alappuzha, a similar event would be held in Kozhikode on August 6,” he added.

PFI national president O M A Salam said the Gyanvapi masjid issue is part of the RSS agenda. “Muslims are denied justice even in the judiciary. We are facing a situation in which individual rights envisaged in the Constitution are alienated from Muslims. Recent developments show that the Babri masjid issue was not the end, but only a beginning. All those who want to see the existence of the Republic of India should come out to protest. We cannot wait for secular political parties to take the lead in protecting India. PFI would take the lead in protecting the Republic of India,” he said.

On Friday, the Kerala High Court had asked the Alappuzha district police chief to ensure that the PFI rally on Saturday did not lead to law and order issues in the region.