The right wing government in India has declared the Popular Front of India (PFI), a political organization that represents Muslims in the country, as “unlawful”, banning it for five years.
In a statement on Wednesday, India’s home ministry said the PFI and its affiliates “have been found to be involved in serious offenses, including terrorism and its financing, targeted gruesome killings, disregarding the constitutional set up”.
It said the government has banned PFI and its affiliates including Rehab India Foundation, Campus Front of India, All India Imams Council, National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation, National Women’s Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation, and Rehab Foundation, Kerala.
The PFI, which calls itself a “social movement striving for total empowerment” on its website, was formed in November 2006 to counter the rise of Hindu-nationalist groups in the country.
Since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rose to power in 2014, the incidents of violence, harassment, and persecution of Muslims have assumed alarming proportions in the country.
Instead of dousing the flames of communalism, the right wing government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been accused of fanning those flames, pushing the world’s largest democracy toward a dark and uncertain future.
The party today rules both at the center in Delhi and in about half of India’s states. It has heavily relied on Hindu majoritarianism and political polarization to expand its base across the country.
The PFI has, however, rejected accusations of its involvement in violence and anti-national activities.
In a statement posted on Twitter on Tuesday, the organization denounced what it called “massive arrests” in the BJP-ruled states “in the name of preventive custody”.
“This is nothing but Prevention of the Right to democratic protests against d Central govt's witch-hunt targeting PFI is quite natural & expected under this autocratic system,” it said.
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In a statement on Wednesday, India’s home ministry said the PFI and its affiliates “have been found to be involved in serious offenses, including terrorism and its financing, targeted gruesome killings, disregarding the constitutional set up”.
It said the government has banned PFI and its affiliates including Rehab India Foundation, Campus Front of India, All India Imams Council, National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation, National Women’s Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation, and Rehab Foundation, Kerala.
The PFI, which calls itself a “social movement striving for total empowerment” on its website, was formed in November 2006 to counter the rise of Hindu-nationalist groups in the country.
Since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rose to power in 2014, the incidents of violence, harassment, and persecution of Muslims have assumed alarming proportions in the country.
Instead of dousing the flames of communalism, the right wing government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been accused of fanning those flames, pushing the world’s largest democracy toward a dark and uncertain future.
The party today rules both at the center in Delhi and in about half of India’s states. It has heavily relied on Hindu majoritarianism and political polarization to expand its base across the country.
The PFI has, however, rejected accusations of its involvement in violence and anti-national activities.
In a statement posted on Twitter on Tuesday, the organization denounced what it called “massive arrests” in the BJP-ruled states “in the name of preventive custody”.
“This is nothing but Prevention of the Right to democratic protests against d Central govt's witch-hunt targeting PFI is quite natural & expected under this autocratic system,” it said.
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