From 'Hub & Spoke' affiliates to 'If not curbed' warning, what PFI ban notification says 

The Central government has banned the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its affiliate organizations for a period of 5 years. This comes amid the nationwide crackdown on the radical group as the central agencies carried out two rounds of multi-city raids across the country and arrested over 300 people, dismantling an estimated 60% of the outfit's infrastructure.

The government has issued a notification stating that the PFI and its affiliate fronts have been declared "unlawful association" with immediate effect under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

As per the Central government, if there is no immediate curb or control of unlawful activities of the PFI and its fronts, they will use the opportunity to continue subversive activities, encourage and enforce terror-based regressive regime, propagate anti-national sentiments radicalising a particular community, and aggravate activities which are detrimental to the integrity, security, and sovereignty of the country.

Here's the MHA notification declaring PFA unlawful:

Notification banning PFI by Republic World on Scribd

The notification makes some stunning revelations about the PFI, the probe findings and the various affiliate organisations and their funding:

• The investigations have established clear linkages between PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts.
• The Rehab India Foundation collected funds through PFI members and some of the members of PFI are also members of Campus Front of India, Empower India Foundation, and Rehab Foundation, Kerala. Also, the activities of the Junior Front, All India Imams Council, National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO), and National Women's Front are monitored and coordinated by PFI leaders.
• PFI has created these above-mentioned associates fronts with the objective of enhancing its reach among different sections of the society such as youth students, women, Imams, lawyers, or weaker sections of the society with the sole objective of expanding its membership, influence, and fundraising capacity.
• These fronts have a 'Hub & Sopke' relationship with PFI acting as a hub and utilizing the mass outreach and fundraising capacity of its associates for strengthening its capability for unlawful activities. These fronts function as 'roots and capillaries' through which PFI is fed and strengthened 
• PFI and its associates operate openly as a socio-economic, educational, and political organisation but they have been pursuing a secret agenda to radicalise a particular section of the society working towards undermining the concept of democracy and showing sheer disrespect towards the constitutional setup of the country. 
• They indulge in unlawful activities which are prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty, and security of the country and have the potential of disturbing public peace and social harmony by supporting militancy.
• Some of the PFI members are the leaders of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI)and PFI has linkages with Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangaladesh, both of which are proscribed organisations. There have been several instances of international linkages of PFI with global Terrorist Groups like ISIS.
• They have been working covertly to increase radicalisation of one community by promoting a sense of insecurity which is substantiated by the fact that some PFI cadres have joined international terrorist organizations. 
• They are involved in several criminal, violent terror activities with the intent to create a reign of terror in the country, thereby endangering the security and public order of the state.

It concludes, "Therefore, on the basis of the above-listed reasons the government of India taking cognisance of the PFI activities, "it is necessary to exercise its power under UAPA and declare PFI and its front to be an unlawful association with immediate effect. The Central government hereby directs that this notification will have effect for a period of five years from the date of its publication in the official Gazette".

Massive 'Operation Octopus' crackdown on PFI

PFI which was formed in 2006 has come under the Central agencies' scanner for its alleged involvement in various anti-social and anti-national activities. Its political front- the SDPI came into existence in 2009 and has contested elections. In April 2021, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court that the Centre is in the process of banning PFI. 

On September 22, the nationwide crackdown on the PFI was initiated with directions from the Government of India and was codenamed 'Operation Octopus'. 

The multi-agency teams spearheaded by the NIA arrested 106 functionaries of the radical Islamic outfit PFI on September 22 in near-simultaneous raids at 93 locations in 15 states--Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, West Bengal, Bihar and Manipur for allegedly supporting terror activities in the country, officials said. Raids were held again on Tuesday at an estimated 8 states, with 247 people taken into custody.

(Image: PTI)