New Delhi, Sept. 28: The Union Ministry on Tuesday banned the controversial Popular Front of India (PFI) and allied associations for a period of five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention Act) (UAPA) alleging them of having connections with already banned terror outfits. Following the ban order, PFI has been added to the list of already banned terrorist organizations in the country.
According to the notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Union Government has banned Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO), National Women’s Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Found, Kerala along with Popular Front of India.
The decision to ban the above organizations has come after that National Investigating Agency (NIA) and the Police conducted a nationwide riads on PFI officers and residences of its leaders. The authorities had also detained more than 200 allegedly linked to the banned organizations as a ‘precautionary measure’ after the intelligence reports suggested a possible retaliation by the organization following the arrest of its members during the raids conducted on earlier occasions.
The notification also said, “PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts operate openly as socio-economic, educational and political organization but, they have been pursuing a secret to radicalize a particular section of the society working towards undermining the concept of democracy and show sheer disrespect towards the constitutional authority and constitutional set up of the county.”
PFI
Further, the it also states that some of the PFI’s founding members are the leaders of Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and the organizations has linkages with Jamat-ul-Mujahideen (JMB) of Bangladesh apart from having linkages with Global Terror Groups like ISIS.