"Involved In Violent Terrorist Activities" : Centre Declares PFI & Affiliates As "Unlawful Association" Under UAPA

The Central Government has banned the Popular Front of India and associated entities for a period of five years. In exercise of the powers under Sec 3(1)  of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, the Central Government declared the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associates or affiliates or fronts as "unlawful associations" with immediate effect.

PFI 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 are also declared "unlawful association".

The notification issued on Wednesday (September 28) will be in force for a period of 5 years.

"The PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been involved in the violent terrorist activities with an intent to create a reign of terror in the country, thereby endangering the security and public order of the state, and the anti-national activities of PFI disrespect and disregard the constitutional authority and sovereignty of the state and hence an immediate and prompt action is required against the organisation", the notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs stated.

The notification further stated that the Central Government is of the opinion that if there is no immediate curb or control of unlawful activities of the PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts, the PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts, will use this opportunity to –

(i) continue its subversive activities, thereby disturbing public order and undermining the constitutional set up of the country;

(ii) encourage and enforce terror based regressive regime;

(iii) continue propagating anti-national sentiments and radicalize a particular section of society with the intention to create disaffection against the country;

(iv) aggravate activities which are detrimental to the integrity, security and sovereignty of the country;

On September 22, in a nationwide crackdown, the NIA arrested several top leaders of PFI in a coordianted operation held in Kerala, Karnataka, UP, Delhi etc

Involved in violent terror activities

The MHA said th 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 internal security of the country.

The notification stated that criminal violent acts carried out by PFI include chopping- off limb of a college professor in Kerala, cold blooded killings of persons associated with organisations espousing other faiths, obtaining explosives to target prominent people and places and destruction of public property.

The PFI cadres have been involved in several terrorist acts and murder of several persons, including Sh. Sanjith (Kerala, November, 2021), Sh. V.Ramalingam, (Tamil Nadu, 2019), Sh. Nandu, (Kerala, 2021), Sh. Abhimanyu (Kerala, 2018), Sh. Bibin (Kerala, 2017), Sh. Sharath (Karnataka, 2017), Sh. R.Rudresh (Karnataka, 2016), Sh. Praveen Pujari (Karnataka, 2016), Sh. Sasi Kumar (Tamil Nadu, 2016) and Sh. Praveen Nettaru (Karnataka, 2022) and the above criminal activities and brutal murders have been carried out by PFI cadres for the sole objective of disturbing public peace and tranquility and creating reign of terror in public mind.

It was also stated that there had been a number of instances of international linkages of PFI with Global Terrorist Groups and some activists of the PFI have joined Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and participated in terror activities in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Some of these PFI cadres linked to ISIS have been killed in these conflict theaters and some have been arrested by State Police and Central Agencies and also the PFI has linkages with Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a proscribed terrorist organization.

Click here to read the official gazette notification of MHA