While the State government and ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hailed the ban on Popular Front of India (PFI), opposition Congress also welcomed the ban but with some caveats, triggering a row.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the demand to ban PFI and its affiliates was long-pending and political parties across the spectrum, from CPI (M) in Kerala to Congress, had been demanding for the same. He described PFI “as mutants of the proscribed organisations Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and Karnataka Forum for Dignity (KFD)” and alleged the now-banned organisations had no respect for the law and Constitution and that they had carried out several violent acts “based on orders from outside India”.
Home Minister Araga Jnanendra, who last week during NIA raids was the first to say this was a step towards banning the organisation, welcomed the ban and said this was much needed for national security.
