After ban, Centre's mega digital crackdown; official Twitter account of PFI taken down

A day after Centre announced a five year ban on the radical organisation Popular Front of India (PFI) and its eight associated front, the Union government launched a mega digital crackdown on the outfit and took down its official account September 29.

Following Centre’s call for digital crackdown on PFI, Twitter India took down the accounts of PFI chairman, OMA Salam and general secretary, Anis Ahmed. Both the PFI leaders were arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) during the raids.

The Centre also ordered the blocking of social media accounts of the outfit and its associated affiliates to prevent them from propagating their activities after they were banned under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

The Home Ministry had issued a notification on September 28, stating, “The PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been involved in the violent terrorist activities with an intent to create a reign of terror in the country, thereby endangering the security and public order of the state, and the anti-national activities of PFI disrespect and disregard the constitutional authority and sovereignty of the state and hence an immediate and prompt action is required against the organisation.”

PFI affiliates Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation (NCHRO), National Women’s Front, Junio Front, Empower India Foundation and rehab Foundation, Kerala are also declared ‘unlawful association,’ under the UAPA act.”

The PFI and its affiliates were banned for their alleged role in terror funding and links to global terror groups.