Kerala. Siddique Kappan’s arrest and subsequent crackdown on Popular Front have exposed the terror links of several media persons. There has been a Green Media Syndicate in Kerala which aided and amplified the Popular Front agenda. The NIA and Intelligence Bureau have interrogated about half a dozen journalists (more, including some activists, are likely to be questioned in the near future). NIA is likely to call a couple of journalists for further investigation. Earlier, a few businessmen were questioned for using the Popular Front channel for money laundering.
A senior journalist who appears on TV debates was specifically asked about his frequent trips to the Gulf. He accompanied CA Rauf to the Gulf to attend a Popular Front-sponsored program last year. A women journalist was also interrogated by NIA for her links with the terror outfit.
Two Delhi-based journalists associated with a leading Malayalam daily had to shift to Kerala fearing probe. They had collected huge funds from the Gulf for fighting dubious journalist Siddique Kappan’s case. UP Police had called Kappan’s colleague for investigation. However, he allegedly fled Delhi fearing arrest. Senior office-bearers of the journalist union are on NIA radar.
According to a reports huge amounts of slush money had changed hands to run pro-Popular Front campaign in national and international media. NIA is probing the role of another lawyer in organizing funds for fighting Kappan’s case.
Delhi Police which had investigated Siddique Kappan’s source of funds had handed over case details to NIA.
Popular Front had penetrated all media outlets in Kerala. Some of the top journalists are funded by Popular Front to push its agenda. Editor of a Malayalam magazine who had earlier worked with an Islamist media outlet used to receive Rs 75,000 every month from an Islamist outfit to push Islamist agenda and build campaign against BJP and PM. This came to light after the said editor was sacked. At a Popular Front meeting, Muslim Educational Society chairman had elaborated how his organization used to ‘manage’ senior journalists by giving them a platform.
Inputs – Indusscrolls
