Page 4 - Pfi

RSS should have been banned before PFI, says Lalu; BJP hits back

RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Wednesday called the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh a "Hindu extremist organisation" that deserved to be banned, drawing a sharp retort from the BJP, which charged the former CM with pursuing a politics of "vote bank" and "pseudo secularism". Prasad made the remark replying to queries from journalists about the Union Home Ministry's ban on Popular Front of India and several of its associates under a stringent anti-terror law. "They keep raising the bogey of PFI. It is the RSS, which is all about Hindu extremism (kattarpanth'), that deserves to be banned first, said the septuagenarian, after filing nomination papers for election to his party's top post in Delhi. Prasad, who has been heading the RJD since he founded it in 1997, is likely to be re-elected next month. His remarks drew a sharp reaction from the BJP, the political offshoot of the RSS. "Lalu ji is aiming at consolidation of his Muslim support base by supporting the PFI. For this very reason he is ..

PFI ban: Seizure of properties, freezing of bank accounts to follow

The notification banning the Popular Front of India (PFI) under the stringent anti-terror law UAPA will be followed by a number of actions against the outfit, including seizure of its properties, freezing of bank accounts and a complete prohibition of its usual activities. The central government will also move a tribunal within 30 days from the date of the publication of the notification for adjudication of whether or not there is sufficient cause for declaring the association unlawful. The ban order will remain in force for five years and it can be further extended by the government. According to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA),if any member of the banned group has the custody of any funds, securities or credits which are being used or are intended to be used for the unlawful association, the Centre may, by a written order , prohibit such person from paying, delivering, transferring or otherwise dealing in any manner whatsoever with such assets. Any person ..

BJP demands Kerala CM remove ally INL, minister over links with banned PFI

The Kerala unit of the BJP on Wednesday demanded that CM Pinarayi Vijayan should ask for resignation of State Ports Minister as he belongs to INL which has close relations with the now banned RIF

PFI ban shows Centre's tough stance on national security: MoS Muraleedharan

Union minister V Muraleedharan on Wednesday lauded the Centre's ban on PFI and its affiliates for five years, saying it showed that the Modi government "acts tough" with forces aiming to disrupt peace and stability.The Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs reaffirmed the government's stand that there would be no compromise on the matter of national security."No compromise on National Security. Banning PFI reiterates the fact that @narendramodi Govt acts tough on forces aiming to disrupt peace & nation's stability. @narendramodi govt ensuring integrity, sovereignty & security of the country. The whole nation welcomes this decision," Muraleedharan tweeted.Late Tuesday, the Ministry of Home Affairs declared the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associates or affiliates or fronts "as an unlawful association with immediate effect". It banned these outfits for five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.Along with PFI, the ban ...

PFI was planning 'something serious' in Maharashtra, says CM Eknath Shinde

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday welcomed the Union government's decision to ban the Popular Front of India, which has allegedly been involved in a series of violence, and said it has come to light that the organisation was planning "something serious" in the state. The organisation members had also tried to disturb peace in Pune, but swift police action foiled their bid, Shinde told reporters in Nashik and thanked Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the step to ban PFI and its several associates for five years. "The PFI and its allied organisations were found to be involved in serious crimes. The organisation recently became active in terror funding, murders, insulting the Constitution, disturbing the social harmony and unity of the country. It has also surfaced that the organisation was planning something serious in Maharashtra as well," the CM said. "The plans of anti-social elements to undertake anti-national activities and divide the society will never ...

Govt bans Popular Front of India for 5 years with immediate effect

On September 22, multi-agency teams spearheaded by NIA arrested 106 leaders and activists of the PFI in 15 states for allegedly supporting terror activities in the country

Ban on PFI was necessary to keep country intact: BJP Gen Secy Arun Singh

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National General Secretary Arun Singh on Wednesday said that the ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI) was necessary to keep the country intact

PFI raising funds from India, abroad through banking channels: Centre

The law enforcement agencies have found that the office-bearers of the Popular Front of India along with others were conspiring and raising funds from within India and abroad

Top Headlines: PSBs to hire on monthly basis, Sebi goes to SC, and more

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has moved the Supreme Court against New Delhi Television (NDTV), the media company said

Fresh crackdown against PFI: More than 170 held across seven states

More than 170 people allegedly linked with the Popular Front of India (PFI) were detained or arrested in raids across seven states on Tuesday, five days after a similar pan India crackdown against the group often accused of being linked to radical Islam. Conducted mostly by state police teams, the raids were spread across Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Delhi, Maharashtra, Assam and Madhya Pradesh. On September 22, multi-agency teams spearheaded by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested 106 leaders and activists of the PFI in 15 states for allegedly supporting terror activities in the country. The NIA is investigating 19 cases involving the PFI. As police teams fanned out across their respective states on Tuesday, seemingly synchronised, the action was swift. While 25 people each were arrested in Assam and Maharashtra, 57 were detained in Uttar Pradesh, officials said. The count of those detained in Delhi was 30, Madhya Pradesh was at 21 followed by 10 in Gujarat and si

NIA crackdown on PFI continues, 30 more people detained in Delhi

Thirty people associated with the Popular Front of India (PFI) were detained after raids at multiple locations, including Nizamuddin and Shaheen Bagh, in the national capital on Tuesday, as part of a crackdown against the outfit, police said. The raids were conducted early morning by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police, they said. "We have conducted raids at multiple locations in the national capital, including Shaheen Bagh and Nizamuddin. So, far we have detained 30 people associated with the PFI," a senior police officer said. Delhi Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) Suman Nalwa confirmed that in a "joint, coordinated action" against the PFI, 30 people have been detained so far. No case has been registered as the investigation is underway, police said. Several PFI activists and leaders were arrested or detained in similar raids carried out in Assam, Maharashtra, and Karnataka on Tuesday.

Latest news LIVE: 247 arrested in second round of nationwide raids on PFI

At least 247 people have been arrested across the nation so far in the second round of raids on the Popular Front of India (PFI)

10 people detained in raids by NIA, ATS in Gujarat over PFI links

At least 10 people have been detained in Gujarat for questioning over alleged links with the Popular Front of India (PFI) in raids conducted by a joint team of the state Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and the National Investigation Agency, an official said on Tuesday. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been raiding premises linked to the PFI in various states, including Gujarat, a senior state police official said. "They have detained at least 10 people for questioning from different parts of Gujarat with the help of the state police and ATS," he said. Notably, the PFI's political wing Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) is active in Gujarat and opened its office in Ahmedabad a few months back. In a massive crackdown on the PFI, multi-agency teams spearheaded by the NIA arrested 106 leaders and activists of the radical Islamic outfit on September 22 in near simultaneous raids in 15 states for allegedly supporting terror activities in the country, officials earlier said.

Police arrest 25 PFI activists from 8 districts of Assam in fresh crackdown

Twenty-five Popular Front of India (PFI) activists were arrested from different districts of Assam in a fresh crackdown against the outfit on Tuesday, police said. The highest number of 10 PFI activists were held in Goalpara, five in Kamrup (Rural) and three in Dhubri, followed by arrests in Barpeta, Baksa, Darrang, Udalguri and Karimganj, they said. Earlier, 11 people were arrested by the Assam Police from various parts of the state and Delhi, after a nation-wide clampdown against the organisation since September 22. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier said that his government has been urging the Centre to ban the outfit for allegedly creating an eco-system for terror activities. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has claimed that documents seized during the nation-wide raids conducted at offices of PFI and its members contain highly incriminating materials targeting prominent leaders of a particular community.

Police arrest 4 PFI activists from Thane over anti-national activities

Police have arrested four activists of the Popular Front of India (PFI) from different locations in Maharashtra's Thane district for alleged anti-national activities, an official said on Tuesday. The arrests were made on Monday night in a joint operation carried out in the district by local police and crime branch officials, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Laxmikant Patil said. Two of the activists were nabbed from Mumbra and one each from Kalyan and Bhiwandi towns, he said without elaborating. The PFI, formed in 2006, claims to strive for a neo-social movement ostensibly for the empowerment of marginalised sections of India, and is often accused by law enforcement agencies of promoting radical Islam In near-simultaneous raids across the length and breadth of the country on September 22, a multi-agency operation spearheaded by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) led to the arrest of 106 PFI activists in 15 states for allegedly supporting terror activities in the country.

NIA conducts pan-India raids against PFI, more than 50 detained so far

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) was conducting raids in over eight states and at multiple locations linked to the Popular Front of India (PFI) members on Tuesday

Enforcing ban on extremist outfits will not eliminate communalism: CPI(M)

Amid reports of the Centre planning to include Popular Front of India in the list of terror outfits, Kerala's ruling CPI(M) on Monday said such a measure will not help eliminate activities of extremist organisations. Addressing a public meeting organised by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) at nearby Kattakkada, CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan argued that enforcing a ban on extremist organisations will further strengthen communalism. "An extremist organisation cannot be eliminated through a ban. If action is taken against only one part of extremism, it will further strengthen communalism," he said. He alleged that both majority and minority communal outfits were targeting the ruling Left in the state. Govindan's statement comes amid growing demand for enforcing a ban on Popular Front of India (PFI) following last week's raids and arrest of the outfit leaders by multi-agency teams, spearheaded by NIA, at 93 locations in 15 states for allegedly supporting terror activities

PFI members have connections with SIMI, Indian Mujahideen, claims NIA

A number of PFI members were earlier associated with banned organisations like the Students Islamic Movement of India and the Indian Mujahideen, National Investigation Agency (NIA) sources claim

PFI has strong roots in Gulf, money was sent to India via Hawala: NIA

The sources in the NIA said that PFI had allegedly received huge fund through Hawala from its UAE and Gulf countries-based members

TN police continue action against PFI, SDPI cadres over petrol bomb attacks

The Tamil Nadu Police continued its crackdown against the Popular Front of India (PFI) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) cadres on Monday over the alleged Molotov cocktail attacks