Hard Stand : Centre Acts Tough, Bans PFI For Five Years ; Involvement In Terror Activities, Links With ISIS Cited As Reasons

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The Popular Front of India, which has allegedly been involved in a series of violence and has “links” with global terror groups like ISIS, has been banned by the Centre along with its several associates for five years following the second round of crackdown against its leaders.

In a report by PTI, The organisations which were also declared banned under the stringent anti-terror law UAPA include Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CF), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation (NCHRO), National Women’s Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala.

More than 150 people allegedly linked with PFI were detained or arrested in raids across seven states on Tuesday, five days after a similar pan-India crackdown against the 16-year-old group had led to the arrest of over a hundred of its activities and seizure of several dozen properties.

In a late Tuesday night notification, the Union home ministry said some of the PFI’s founding members are the leaders of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and the PFI has linkages with Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). Both JMB and SIMI are proscribed organisations.

It said there had been many instances of international linkages of PFI with global terrorist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Reacting to the Centre’s move, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde told ANI, PFI which raises ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans doesn’t have any right to raise such slogans in the country. Home Ministry will take action on that. Central govt has taken the right decision. It’s a country of patriots:.

Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam Chief Minister tweeted, I welcome the ban on (Popular Front of India) PFI by the Government of India.

The Government is firm in its resolve to ensure that anyone with a diabolical, divisive or disruptive design against India shall be dealt with iron fist. India of Modi Era is Decisive & Bold.