Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP from West Bengal’s Murshidabad parliamentary constituency Abu Taher Khan stirred a controversy when his name featured in a poster for an anti-CAA protest put out by the Popular Front of India, an organisation under scanner for alleged involvement in violence during protests in Lucknow and Mangaluru. Khan later refused to join the protest against the newly passed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Population Register (NPR) organised by the PFI’s Bengal unit on January 05, 2020 (Sunday). The protest is scheduled to take place in Bhakuri area of Berhampore in West Bengal.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Khan said that he has no idea about the protest and he has nothing to do with it. “I have no knowledge about this (PFI claimed he will attend their protest against CAA on 5th January). If they have mentioned my name in their poster, I can not do anything about it.”
However, PFI leader Hasibul Islam said that Khan had given his consent to be a part of the protest. Speaking to PTI, PFI West Bengal general secretary Manirul Sheikh said, “We are organising a rally against the CAA in Murshidabad on January 5 and have invited several speakers, including Murshidabad TMC MP Abu Taher Khan. He has given his consent to be a part of this protest programme.”
The other member of the protest are Taslim Ahmed Rehmani, National Secretary SDPI and President Muslim Political Council of India; Niamot Sheikh, TMC MLA from Hariharpara constituency; Sukriti Ranjan Biswas, writer and Dalit Mukti Andolon leader; Sujato Bhadra, president, Bandi Mukti Committee; among others.
The incident comes at a time when the Uttar Pradesh government has sought a ban on the organisation for its alleged involvement in the violence across the state last month. Earlier, UP DGP (Director General of Police) OP Singh had claimed that the state police has written a letter to Union Home Ministry seeking a ban on PFI after the arrest of its state chief Wasim and 16 other people for involvement in the protests.
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Source: Financial Express
