Karnataka HC dismisses plea challenging ban on PFI

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court dismissed a plea that challenged the ban on the organisation Popular Front of India (PFI) on Wednesday. The court had reserved earlier its order on the plea filed by Nasir Pasha, the president of PFI in Karnataka, NDTV reported.

The petitioner's counsel argued that the Centre could not justify the ban, which imposed a five-year ban on the organisation.

It argued that the Centre's decision was o the basis of various crime-related incidents. But the decision restrains the fundamental rights of minorities which Article 19 of the Constitution grants.

It was in September, the Union government imposed the ban on PFI under the UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) following a series of raids across the country.

PFI was accused of having ties with the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Islamic State or ISIS.

Further, the organisation had alleged involvement in several terrorist incidents as well as more than 1,400 criminal cases, the latter including murders of right-wing activists.

The government's ban order suggests that PFI has been raising funds from India and abroad via hawala and donations. It alleged that the organisation, with funds, and outside support, has become a major threat to national security. According to the order's claims, more than 20 PFI members had joined ISIS, but it has not provided any names or details.

Pursuing a secret agenda to radicalise a particular section of society, the PFI showed utter disrespect to the constitutional authority of the nation, the government order claimed.

The nationwide raids in September had arrested more than 300 PFI members, and a considerable percentage of them were from Kerala. When BJP-ruled states welcomed the ban, Congress and Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM called the action "selective", NDTV reported.