Centre bans Popular Front of India and its affiliates for five years citing 'terror links'

New Delhi: The Central Government, on Wednesday, declared the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associates or affiliates or fronts as an unlawful association with immediate effect for a period of five years.

The decision comes hours after over 150 persons associated with the PFI were arrested in a massive crackdown across the country. While the maximum number of detentions took place in Bengaluru, Delhi and Assam also witnessed a significant number of arrests. Over 106 PFI members were arrested by the NIA and Enforcement Directorate earlier this week.

"Terrorist incidents (by PFI) occurred in many states, disintegrating the nation & spreading violence. So we welcome this step (of Central Govt declaring PFI & its associates unlawful for 5 years)," BJP National General Secretary Arun Singh said. The organizations declared unlawful include - Rehab India Foundation(RIF), Campus Front of India(CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Org(NCHRO), National Women’s Front, Jr Front, Empower India Foundation & Rehab Foundation, Kerala.

Justifying the move against the organization, Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni said that the Centre has received suspicious information against PFI. "We have got suspicious info against PFI. Raids were conducted on the basis of inputs we received. Some people were arrested too. The raids are underway, searches will happen as per the info we will receive further," he said, news agency ANI quoted.

As law enforcement agencies conducted a series of raids against the PFI cadres, Section 144 was imposed in Delhi and prohibitory orders were issued in multiple locations. PFI was launched in 2006 in Kerala after merging three organizations that were formed after the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992 - the National Development Front of Kerala, Karnataka Forum for Dignity and Manitha Neethi Pasari of Tamil Nadu.

The raids have been conducted at residential and official premises of PFI officials for "funding terrorism, organising training camps and radicalising people to join proscribed organisations".