New Delhi: The Government of India on Wednesday declared the Popular Front of India and eight other associated Muslim organisations of PFI as an “unlawful association” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The Muslim organization has been banned for five years along with eight other Muslim organisations, the Ministry of Home Affairs of India said, according to The Hindu report.
The MHA has also issued another order empowering States to notify places associated with PFI and its front organisations where ‘unlawful activity’ is taking place.
The report quoting the GoI order said District Magistrate will make a list of immovable properties of the organisation and make an order that no person who at the date of the notification was not a resident in the notified place shall, without the permission of the District Magistrate, enter, or be on or in, the notified place.
State Governments of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat have recommended a ban on PFI, MHA said.
Earlier on September 22, over 100 Muslim leaders were arrested after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) of India jointly carried out raids in various states of the country.
Reports quoting sources had said that many were charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
A total of 106 Popular Front of India (PFI) leaders were arrested from 11 states, including Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
The maximum number of arrests were made in Kerala (22) followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka (20 each), Andhra Pradesh (5), Assam (9), Delhi (3), Madhya Pradesh (4), Puducherry (3), Tamil Nadu (10), Uttar Pradesh (8) and Rajasthan (2).
Following the mass arrest, members of the Popular Front of India (PFI) staged protests across Kerala against the raids today.
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