Centre bans PFI for 5 yrs

New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday banned the Popular Front of India (PFI) and eight of its associates, including the Rehab India Foundation (RIF) and Campus Front of India, for five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The MHA issued the gazette notification to this effect a day after the second nationwide crackdown on the radical outfit in five days with police teams across seven states conducting raids on Tuesday and detaining or arresting more than 270 people with alleged links to the radical outfit. The ministry in its notification said the PFI and its associates, affiliates, and fronts have been indulging in unlawful activities, which are prejudicial to India's integrity, sovereignty, and security, have the potential of disturbing public peace and communal harmony, and supporting militancy in the country.

"The Central government is of the opinion that it is necessary to exercise its powers under sub-section (1) of section 3 of the UAPA Act as the PFI is involved in several criminal and terror cases and shows sheer disrespect towards the constitutional authority of the country and with funds and ideological support from outside it has become a major threat to the internal security of the country, investigations in various cases have revealed that the PFI and its cadres have been repeatedly engaging in violent and subversive acts," stated the notification. After banning the PFI, the MHA also issued another notification with a subject line of delegation of power and said under the exercise of the powers conferred by Section 42 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The Central government directs State governments and the Union Territory administrations to exercise all the powers under Section 7 (to prohibit the use of funds) and Section 8 (notify places used for the purpose of an unlawful association) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or UAPA. In the first notification, the MHA said some of the PFI's founding members are the leaders of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and that the radical outfit has links with the Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), both of which are proscribed organisations.

"There had been a number of instances of international linkages of PFI with Global Terrorist Groups like Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been working covertly to increase radicalization of one community by promoting a sense of insecurity in the country, which is substantiated by the fact that some PFI cadres have joined international terrorist organisations," it states.

The notification also mentioned about the many associates or affiliates or fronts, including the 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 (EIF), and Rehab Foundation, Kerala.

"Rehab India Foundation collects funds through PFI members and some of the members of the PFI are also members of CFI, EIF, Rehab Foundation, Kerala, and the activities of the junior front, All India Imams Council, National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO) and National Women's Front are monitored/ coordinated by the PFI leaders. The PFI has created all the associates or affiliates or fronts with the objective of enhancing its reach among different sections of the society such as youth, students, women, Imams, lawyers or weaker sections of the society with the sole objective of expanding its membership, influence and fundraising capacity," it further states.