“PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been indulging in unlawful activities, which are prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty and security of the country and have the potential of disturbing public peace and communal harmony of the country and supporting militancy in the country," according to a gazette notification from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
“And whereas, the central government, having regard to the above circumstances, is of the firm opinion that it is necessary to declare the PFI and its associated or affiliates or fronts as an unlawful association with immediate effect, and accordingly, in exercise of the powers conferred by the proviso to sub-section (3) of section 2 of the said Act, the Central Government hereby directs that this notification shall, subject to any order that may be made under section 4 of the said Act, have effect for a period of five years from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette," it added.
According to the ministry, PFI cadres have been involved in several terrorist acts and murders of Sanjith (Kerala, November 2021); V Ramalingam (Tamil Nadu, 2019); Nandu (Kerala, 2021); Abhimanyu (Kerala, 2018); Sh. Bibin (Kerala, 2017); Sharath (Karnataka, 2017); R Rudresh (Karnataka, 2016); Praveen Pujari (Karnataka, 2016); Sasi Kumar (Tamil Nadu, 2016); and Praveen Nettaru (Karnataka, 2022).
The official notification also declared Rehab India Foundation, Campus Front of India, All India Imams Council, National Confederation of Human Rights Organization, National Women’s Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala, as an ‘unlawful association’ under sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967).
