On Wednesday, the Popular Front of India (PFI) announced the disbanding of the organization after the central government banned the outfit for a period of 5 years. Prior to this, on Tuesday, another massive crackdown against the organization took place across 6 BJP-ruled states- Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Assam, and in Delhi, where the police reports to the centre. This happened just days after an earlier crackdown, which had taken place with the raids conducted by the NIA in 16 states, wherein over 100 PFI leaders and members were arrested.
On Tuesday as well, at least 170 people, said to be linked with the PFI were detained or arrested in raids conducted by the state police teams in the morning. 25 people each were arrested in Assam and Maharashtra, 57 were detained in UP, 21, in Madhya Pradesh, and another 10 were detained in Gujarat.
In the wake of all this, the PFI took to twitter and stated that in the name of ‘preventive custody’, massive arrests were taking place in BJP ruled states. It further alleged that this was nothing but the prevention of the right to democratic protests against the central government’s ‘witch-hunt’, targeting the PFI. “It is quite natural and expected this autocratic system”, the tweet further added.
Interestingly, the official handle of the Pakistan Consulate General, Vancouver, same out to support the PFI and tagged a number of official twitter handles of organizations like the United Nations Human Rights Council, the United Nations, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, European Commission, Amnesty International, etc.
The PFI has been accused of being a radical Islamic organization, having links with terror groups and funds, organizing terror- training camps, and had major parts to play in the anti-CAA movement, the Delhi riots and brainwashing Muslim youth.
