PFI banned for five years, Government cites national security threat
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 the some PFI cadres have joined international terrorist organisations, the government said.
FollowThe government of India has banned the Popular Front of India for a period of five years on the grounds that the outfit and its associates have been involved in violent terrorist activities with an intent to create a reign of terror in the country, thereby endangering security and public order.
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The government notification underlined that the anti-national activities of PFI disrespect and disregard the constitutional authority and sovereignty of the state, and hence immediate and prompt action is required against the organisation.
Citing that some of the PFI's founding members were part of the Students Islamic Movement of India and linkages with terror outfit Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, the government said that the PFI and its associates had been working covertly to increase radicalization of one community by promoting a sense of insecurity in the country. The government pointed out that PFI also had links with global terrorist groups like the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
The ban on PFI comes a day after over 170 suspects linked to PFI were picked up during operations conducted across seven states. The raids, which were carried out across Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Assam and Madhya Pradesh, came based on the interrogation of suspects who were picked up during the multi-agency teams spearheaded by the National Investigation Agency on September 22.
The Union Home Ministry, in its gazette notification, said that PFI cadre and leaders were conspiring with others and raising funds from within India and abroad through the banking channels, hawala and donations as part of a well-crafted criminal conspiracy.
The funds raised by the outfit and its fronts were then transferred, layered and integrated through multiple accounts to project them as legitimate, the notification said, adding that these funds were eventually used to carry out a number of criminal, unlawful and terrorist activities in India.
The Centre believes if left unchecked, the PFI and its fronts would continue its subversive activities, undermining the country's constitutional set-up and thereby disturbing public order. The PFI, the government said, would encourage and enforce a terror-based regressive regime, radicalize a particular section of society with the intention to create disaffection against the country and continue propagating anti-national sentiments. The notification said that not banning the PFI would aggravate activities that are detrimental to the sovereignty, integrity and security of the country.
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