Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president and former Chief Minister Maywati lambasted the Central government for selectively targeting the Popular Front of India (PFI) and said that people are worried as it looks more like a step taken by the government in self-interest and to appease the Sangh.
The Popular Front of India, its origins, presence, and controversies
If organisations like PFI is a threat to the internal security of the country, why hasn’t the government considered banning similar organisations, she asked, adding that the demand to ban the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has surfaced from Opposition quarters.
“After targeting the Popular Front of India (PFI) nationwide, the Centre has banned it and eight of it’s associated organisations before the assembly polls. People here are less satisfied and worried more as it looks a policy of Sangh’s appeasement and taken in self-interest. Hence, the opposition parties are questioning the government, attacking it with demands of ban on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) coming openly, if the PFI is threat to the internal security of the country then why not the government should think of banning such similar organizations?” Ms. Mayawati wrote on social networking site Twitter.
After nationwide raids aimed at the office-bearers and workers of PFI and related organisations, the Union government on Wednesday banned it for five years under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), accusing the organisation of having links with terror outfits.
Also read: Popular Front of India to fight the ban in courts
While calling the ban correct, many Opposition political parties called for a similar ban on the RSS, the ideological mentor of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Former Bihar CM and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad has demanded for a ban on the RSS, alleging that “the organisation which is all about Hindu extremism need to be banned first”.
The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a prominent political party in Kerala, has also demanded ban on the RSS, while welcoming the ban on the PFI.
