Ban on PFI: Twitter account of Popular Front of India withheld in India

The official Twitter account of Popular Front of India PFI has been withheld in India by the social media platform in response to a legal demand a day after the Centre banned the outfit under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act UAPA for terror linksThe government had yesterday ordered the blocking of all the social media traces of the banned outfit including its Twitter YouTube channels Instagram and Facebook accountsThe Ministry of Home Affairs MHA made the announcement to ban the organisation through a notification issued late on Tuesday night declaring the PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts as an unlawful association with immediate effectAlongwith PFI the ban is also imposed on its fronts including Rehab India Foundation RIF Campus Front of India CFI All India Imams Council AIIC National Confederation of Human Rights Organization NCHRO National Womens Front Junior Front Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation Kerala as an unlawful associationAlso Read India records 4272 Covid cases in a day death toll rises to 528611The notification clearly mentioned that the ban has been imposed against PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts for indulging in unlawful activities which are prejudicial to the integrity sovereignty and security of the country and have the potential of disturbing public peace and communal harmony of the country and supporting militancy in the countryIn exercise of the powers conferred by subsection 1 of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act 1967 37 of 1967 the Central Government hereby declares the Popular Front of India PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts including Rehab India Foundation RIF Campus Front of India CFI All India Imams Council AIIC National Confederation of Human Rights Organization NCHRO National Womens Front Junior Front Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation Kerala as an unlawful association reads the notificationThe Central Government hereby directs that this notification shall subject to any order that may be made under section 4 of the UAPA have effect for a period of five years from the date of its publication in the OfficeThe Centre issued the ban citing the investigation of its agencies mentioning the investigations have established clear linkages between PFI and its associates or affiliates or frontsIt is also accused that some of the PFIs founding members are the leaders of Students Islamic Movement of India SIMI and PFI has linkages with Jamatul Mujahideen Bangladesh JMB both of which are proscribed organisationsThere had been a number of instances of international linkages of PFI with Global Terrorist Groups the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ISIS The PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been working covertly to increase radicalization of one community by promoting a sense of insecurity in the country which is substantiated by the fact that some PFI cadres have joined international terrorist organisationsThe PFI is involved in several criminal and terror cases and shows sheer disrespect towards the constitutional authority of the country and with funds and ideological support from outside it has become a major threat to the internal security of the country mentioned the notification