Siddaramaiah responsible for patronising PFI: Union Ministers

Three Union Ministers from Karnataka have blamed Congress, particularly former chief minister Siddaramaiah, for patronising the Popular Front of India (PFI).

Union Minister for Coal Pralhad Joshi, Minister for State for Agriculture Shobha Karandlaje and Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar told media persons here that the PFI's activities extended all over the country after the Siddaramaiah-led government in Karnataka took a decision to withdraw more than 170 criminal cases filed against more than 1500 PFI workers in 2015.

Also Read: Now-banned PFI was under radar of government agencies for long

They claimed that Siddaramaiah was helping the organisation by withdrawing serious cases filed against them as part of Congress appeasement policy despite knowing that the PFI was engaging in radicalising Muslim youths.

Reacting to Siddaramaiah's demand to ban RSS, Joshi said that the RSS never indulged in anti-national activities. “The RSS is the most patriotic organisation and always worked for the unity of the country,” he said.

The ministers alleged that the outfit's activists unleashed terror against Hindus and killed several innocent youths after the cases, registered against the PFI leaders, were withdrawn.

They said Congress must stop vote bank politics and held that it is solely responsible for the outfit expanding its network to the entire country.