Following several raids across the country and arrests by central agencies, radical outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) was on Wednesday banned for five years by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for its alleged links to terror financing. Besides, PFI’s affiliates – 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 Foundation, Kerala – were also banned.
Several states have called for a ban on clothing. The decision was taken based on the report of the investigating agencies. On 22 September and 27 September, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the state police raided the PFI. In the first round of raids, 106 persons belonging to the PFI were arrested. Meanwhile, 247 persons belonging to PFI were arrested/detained in the second round of raids. Anti-clothing investigative agencies have obtained enough evidence on the basis of which the decision to ban the clothing has been taken.
As the central government declared the PFI and its associates or fronts an illegal association with immediate effect, BJP leader Kapil Mishra tweeted that “Banning PFI is a decisive step against Islamic Jihad”. Reacting to this development, BJP National Spokesperson, Shehzad Poonawalla tweeted, “Strong and timely action by Central Govt, MHA to ban #PFI for 5 years. However, we have seen in the past how Congress, SP, RJD, Left etc. have given political patronage to terror in the name of vote bank.
On September 22, NIA and Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches against PFI at 93 locations in 15 states – Kerala , Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, West Bengal, Bihar and Manipur At least 106 PFI members and their alleged associates were arrested in the first round of raids.
The NIA along with other investigative agencies raided PFI members under Operation Octopus for allegedly supporting terrorist activities in the country. On Tuesday, the second round of raids took place in Delhi, Karnataka, Assam, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Telangana. The searches were conducted at the homes and offices of top PFI leaders and members in connection with five cases registered by the NIA following ongoing information and evidence that they were involved in financing terrorism and terrorist activities, organizing weapons training camps and radicalisation. for people to join banned organizations.
