NEW DELHI: The Central government on Wednesday declared the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associates, affiliates or fronts – specifically naming eight of them – as “unlawful association” under Section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, for a period of five years.
The ban comes days after the National Investigation Agency, Enforcement Directorate and various state/UT police conducted a nationwide, coordinated crackdown against the PFI in cases relating to terror activities, terror funding, terror training and radicalisation of vulnerable persons by leaders and cadres of the outfit. Hundreds of its leaders and cadres have been arrested over the past few days as part of the multi-agency, multi-state swoop.
The eight “associates, affiliates or fronts” of PFI also banned as “unlawful association” are 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.
