PATNA: Ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's rallies in Bihar's Seemanchal region, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at the offices of the Popular Front of India (PFI) in Purnia, Aurangabad and Araria districts on Thursday.
Shah's consecutive rallies are scheduled on Friday in Purnia and Saturday in Kishanganj districts. These two districts are considered as Muslim-dominated districts of Seemanchal region.
Separate teams of NIA reached the PFI offices of Purnia and Araria on Thursday morning and investigated the documents available in them.
Besides Bihar, NIA also conducted raids in Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu as well.
Sources have said that 106 persons belonging to PFI were also arrested during the raid. NIA sources have said that this would be the biggest raids conducted in the country on the PFI.
Following the raid, BJP's firebrand leader and MP Giriraj Singh slammed Janata Dal-United Chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav for making the state as a shelter home for terrorists. He also blamed that both the leaders are trying to make PFI a cultural organisation in the state.
"PFI is a terror organisation in the country. After the ban of Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), its leaders converted the organisation into PFI and formed sleeper cells in the state. Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav are responsible for it, " Singh said.
Meanwhile, Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) released a statement in Delhi and its National President M.K. Faizy condemned the raids by the NIA and the arrest of PFI leaders.
"The craven fascist regime has completely failed in the development of the nation and created a shadow enemy of the country to cover up its failure of governance, " the statement said.