Explained: What is PFI? Why Centre banned PFI?

The Central government on Tuesday banned the Popular Front of India (PFI) for five years, days after NIA launched a massive search operation against the group. The Centre, in a notification, said the group had been pursuing a secret agenda to radicalize youths, undermining the concept of democracy. On Tuesday, NIA conducted searches at 93 locations in 15 states of India. Over 100 activists were arrested in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Delhi, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Hyderabad, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, West Bengal, Bihar and Manipur. Earlier this month, NIA arrested 106 people linked with PFI. 

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Why the Centre banned PFI?

The Central government said PFI and its associates operated as a socio-economic, educational and political organization but had been pursuing a secret agenda to radicalize a particular section of the society, working towards undermining the concept of democracy and showing sheer disrespect towards the constitutional authority and constitutional set up of the country.

The Centre said PFI had been involved in unlawful activities prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty and security of India. 

The Centre said the founding members of PFI were linked to the proscribed SIMI, adding the group has links with Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). 

It also accused the group of being linked to global terror groups like ISIS. 

The Centre said PFI and its associates had been working covertly to "increase the radicalization of one community by promoting a sense of insecurity". 

"The Central Government, having regard to the above circumstances, is of the firm opinion that it is necessary to declare the PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts as an unlawful association with immediate effect, and accordingly, in the exercise of the powers conferred by the proviso to sub-section (3) of section 3 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. 

What is PFI?

PFI was founded in 2006 when three outfits from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka discussed the need to form a "pan-India organisation for empowering the Muslim community" and merged.  

The group has many arms, including its political front Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the student wing Campus Front of India, the National Women's Front, an NGO called Rehab India Foundation and a think tank called Empower India Foundation.

PFI has been accused of being an offshoot of the banned terrorist outfit Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). It has been under the Enforcement Directorate's radar. The agency that investigates financial crimes has been probing PFI's alleged funding of the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests, the 2020 Delhi riots and the alleged conspiracy in Hathras.

PFI has its headquarters in Delhi.

So far, the Enforcement Directorate has filed two charge sheets against the group's operatives. 

In February last year, the ED filed its first charge sheet against PFI and its student-wing Campus Front of India (CFI) on money laundering charges, claiming its members wanted to "incite communal riots and spread terror" in the aftermath of the Hathras gang rape case of 2020.

PFI is widely considered a fundamentalist group. In 2017, NIA wrote to the Centre demanding a ban on PFI. The anti-terror agency had termed the group a danger to national security. 

PFI claims to have a presence in 23 states of India. 

Recently, ED said in its charge sheet that PFI and its students' wing CFI collected funds for the group in the gulf countries in the name of business deals. This money was allegedly used to fund anti-India activities.

Experts say PFI considers itself anti-RSS, the BJP's ideological mentor. 

The outfit has also been linked to Love Jihad incidents in Kerala, forced conversion and sending youths to join ISIS in Afghanistan and Syria. 

With inputs from ANI, PTI