Seven Reasons Home Ministry Gave For Declaring PFI An ‘Unlawful Association’

The Ministry of Home Affairs in the early hours of 28 September issued a notification declaring the Popular Front of India (PFI) and eight of its associate organisations as "unlawful associations" under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

In other words, PFI and its eight affiliates were banned.

Here are the seven reasons the Home Ministry gave in its notification for banning the PFI, simplified for you reading:

1. Threat to internal security

PFI has been involved in several criminal and terror cases and shows sheer disrespect towards the constitutional authority of the country, as per the MHA; and with funds and ideological support from outside it has become a major threat to internal security.

2. Violent and subversive acts

The Home Ministry's notification says that investigations in various cases have revealed that PFI and its cadres have been repeatedly engaging in violent and subversive acts.

Criminal violent acts carried out by PFI include chopping off limb of a college professor, cold blooded killings of persons associated with organisations espousing other faiths, obtaining explosives to target prominent people and places and destruction of public property.

3. Murders for creating terror in public's mind

The MHA notification further says that PFI cadres have been involved in several terrorist acts and murder of several persons: Sanjith (Kerala, November, 2021), V. Ramalingam, (Tamil Nadu, 2019), Nandu, (Kerala, 2021), Abhimanyu (Kerala, 2018), Bibin (Kerala, 2017), Sharath (Karnataka, 2017), R. Rudresh (Karnataka, 2016), Praveen Pujari (Karnataka, 2016), Sasi Kumar (Tamil Nadu, 2016) and Praveen Nettaru (Karnataka, 2022).

According to the Home Ministry, these criminal activities and brutal murders have been carried out by PFI cadres for the sole objective of disturbing public peace and tranquility and creating reign of terror in public mind.

4. International linkages of PFI with Global Terrorist Groups

Some activists of the PFI had even joined Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and participated in terror activities in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, says the Home Ministry. Also, as per the notification, the PFI has linkages with Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a proscribed terrorist organisation.

5. Money laundering

The Office bearers and cadres of the PFI, continues the MHA notification, conspired to raise funds from within India and abroad through banking channels, donations, and hawala, etc. as part of a well-crafted criminal conspiracy. They then transferred these funds through multiple accounts to project them as legitimate and eventually used these funds to carry out various criminal, unlawful and terrorist activities in India.

6. Income tax fraud

The sources of deposits on behalf of PFI with respect to its several bank accounts were not supported by the financial profiles of the account holders, as per the MHA, and the activities of PFI were not being carried out as per their declared objectives.

7. Recommendations to ban PFI from states

Lastly, the State Governments of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat had also recommended to ban the PFI, says the notification.

In conclusion, the MHA says that the PFI and its associates were involved in the violent terrorist activities with an intent to create a reign of terror in the country and hence an immediate and prompt action was required against the organisation.