Popular Front of India | SabrangIndia

Assam Police register 16 cases against Popular Front of India (PFI)

Tue, 07 Jun 2022 12:45:04 +0000

Image Courtesy:indiatvnews.com

On June 4, 2022 the Assam Police have registered 16 cases against Popular Front of India (PFI) for their alleged links with the Bangladesh based Islamic terror group Ansarullah Bangladesh Team (ABT).

Additional Director General of Police (Special Branch) Hiren Nath reportedly said, “On April 15, we registered a case in Barpeta district in which some (16) ABT activists were arrested. One of them was Maqibul Hussain. We have found evidence that PFI has close links with Bangladesh-based terror group Ansarullah Bangla Team. According to the police version reported in the Sentinel, Assam, during the interrogation, Hussain “admitted” that he was the president of PFI of Barpeta district. Before joining Ansarullah Bangla Team he was actively working for PFI in the lower Assam, but later resigned to join the said group where he was trained by Mehdi Hasan.”

A report in the Business Standard, quoted Nath saying, “One of the modus operandi of this group or the workers is that anything happening anywhere in the country which does not even have any connection with Assam–may be some Hijab issue or some temples, mosques– they will demonstrate it here, especially in the lower Assam region, including Guwahati city, Goalpara, Barpeta, Baksa, Dhubri and some parts of the Barak Valley. They are provoking people and it is very dangerous for the country.” He reportedly added, “We have recovered some printing materials printed in Bengali and Arabic, that contained literature teaching Jihad, how to do Jihad, how to attract people to Jihad, what are the requirements for the Jihadi, and all these things. We are investigating it all. If anyone tries to disturb the social peace and tranquility, or take the law into their hands, we will take very strong action against them.”

It is to be noted that the police have also registered two more cases against PFI’s student wing Campus Front of India (CFI). The state Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been reportedly urging the Centre to ban PFI and CFI organizations.

Interestingly, DGP Nath had also offered help to Uttar Pradesh police with respect to the recent clashes in Kanpur which broke out between two groups belonging to different communities.

Violence had broken out in Kanpur city of Uttar Pradesh after weekly Friday prayers as members of the minority community clashed with police in reaction to the police lathi-charging some locals. According to other reports, the violence broke out in the Becongunj area near Yatimkhana after police baton-charged some locals. Hundreds of people had taken to the streets in protest.

Media reports stated that violence broke out after a local community leader had called for shops in the area to be closed in the area to “protest” the objectionable remarks by BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma against Prophet Mohammed. The few outfits belonging to the Hindu majority feared isolation and an attack by Muslims on the street and hence brick and stone throwing broke out. This was brought under control by the police. Unconfirmed reports said that a ‘bandh” call has now been given. Meanwhile, several arrests have been made in Kanpur.

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Delhi court issues notice to Arnab Goswami for PFI ‘sting operation’

Fri, 19 Mar 2021 11:30:59 +0000

Image Courtesy:thecognate.com

The Court of Additional Senior Civil Judge, Gagandeep Jindal at South East Saket District Court has issued summons upon defendant Republic TV’s editor, Arnab Goswami, in a defamation civil suit filed by Popular Front of India (PFI) PR Director Dr. M. Shamoon.

As per some media reports, Dr. Shamoon has alleged that Republic TV, as a sting operation, published doctored video footage whereby the former is said to have promoted violent protests and the use of criminal force against the state. He further alleged that the video had led to irreparable damage to him personally as well as the nation at large, as the contents of the fabricated video had reached a worldwide audience.

According to a report in Newslaundry, the plaintiff argued, “If the defendant (Arnab Goswami) were not in nasty intention, they could have aired the complete dialogue made between the plaintiff and the so-called sting operator. The defendant jointly acted against public morality in this incident. It is an attempt to make somebody as criminal that he would not have committed at all. It is against the public morality and decency and hence falls within the purview of Article 19 (2).”

Dr Shamoom’s suit also states, “Since the contents of the fabricated video has reached worldwide, a vast number of friends and colleagues of the plaintiff called him and expressed their dissatisfaction towards the plaintiff against the filthy contents of the video, which was never expressed by the plaintiff really. The image and status of the plaintiff has been blatantly diminished among them,” reported LiveLaw.

He has therefore sought a mandatory injunction, seeking removal of the aforesaid defamatory video from their channel and other social media platforms. Judge Gagandeep Jindal said, “No prejudice is caused to the defendants, if the said application is allowed. Application under Order VI Rule 17 r/w 151 CPC is allowed.”

The channel’s chief, Arnab Goswami and others have been directed to appear before the court on May 27, 2021.

The order may be read here:

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To ban or not to ban: K’taka cabinet yet to decide SDPI-PFI fate

Thu, 20 Aug 2020 14:05:52 +0000

Image Courtesy:dnaindia.com

A few days ago, Karnataka’s senior state ministers had shared that the state government may ban the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and the Popular Front of India (PFI) for their suspected role in the riots at Bangalore’s Devarajeevanahalli (DJ Halli) and Kadugodanahalli (KG Halli) areas. This started a massive debate on the issue, with only seasoned politicians such as Rizwan Arshad, Congress MLA from Bengaluru’s Shivajinagar Assembly, calling the ‘ban plan’ out as mere rhetoric. As expected, the Karnataka Cabinet did not arrive at any decision on banning the SDPI or the PFI, stated news reports.

“We discussed this, but no decision was taken,” Law Minister JC Madhuswamy was quoted by the Deccan Herald. The minister briefed reporters after the Cabinet meeting and said that the “government was exploring all legal options.” According to news reports the minister said, “At the moment, we still do not have concrete evidence or a police report in the case before us. We will take suitable action once we get the report.”

Commenting on the Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa’s earlier statement about recovering damages to public property from rioters, Madhuswamy said that according to the Karnataka Prevention of Destruction and Loss of Public Property Act, 1981, an authority be created to estimate loss and compensation, adding that the if needed “the law would be amended to ensure action against the culprits.”

Rizwan Arshad had told SabrangIndia that the Bharatiya Janata Party government (BJP) will cite “procedural technicalities” and not ban the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and its affiliate Popular Front of India (PFI) for their alleged involvement in Bengaluru riots.

Arshad had asked for a ban on radical organisations across religions, and political affiliations, but said he does not see it happening anytime soon. He alleged that “they [SDPI] are bringing them [BJP] political dividends.” He added that “BJP needs more and more hardline organisations across the system to justify their own politics, their own activities.”

Zia Nomani, of the Swaraj India Party, had also told SabrangIndia that even if the Karnataka government orders a ban on the SDPI and its affiliate PFI, it “will only help the radical groups, including the RSS.”

The SDPI, on its part has denied all charges and blamed “police negligence, discrimination and intelligence failure” as the reason for “such an uncontrolled situation.”

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Popular Front of India files criminal complaint against Times Now and MHA officials

Fri, 10 Nov 2017 07:51:42 +0000

New Delhi: Popular Front of India has filed a criminal complaint against the editors and a reporter of news channel Times Now and officials of Ministry of Home Affairs at New Delhi Parliament street police statiofor leakingng the official secrets of an NIA report and airing the same in an attempt to defame the organisation.

In his complaint, Mohammad Perwez Ahmed, the Delhi State President said that Times Now telecast defamatory news against Popular Front of India two months ago. He further stated that Popular Front of India is ready to face any investigative agency including NIA and prove its innocence.

“From the contents telecasted in the channel, it is evident that Times Now has either stolen the official secrets from the MHA or it was leaked by somebody in the MHA to TIMESNOW and the same was aired in the public, which is an anti-national activity that attracts the penal provisions of the law as it has been very serious violations of the administrative protocol, secrecy and media ethics,” he wrote in the complaint.

Last month, Popular Front of India Chairman E. Abubacker had submitted a memorandum to the Home Ministry, National Security Adviser and National Investigation Agency seeking objective and fair treatment on the part of the concerned authorities and withdrawal of the alleged moves to restrict the activities of the organisation.

The memorandum denied all charges levelled against the organisation in the alleged NIA dossier reportedly submitted to MHA. He called the media reports part of the smear campaign to tarnish the image of Popular Front of India among the common public.

The organisation has also sought opportunities to directly interact with these authorities to give its explanations and clarifications with regard to the reported allegations.

On September 12, 2017, an NIA report alleged that the Popular Front of India (PFI) had links with “terror” activities and called for banning the Muslim organization.

The report, which gathered the attention of the national media, was submitted to the Union Home Ministry, claiming that the group has been involved in terror acts, including running terror camps and making bombs, and was a fit case to be declared banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The agency, according to The Indian Express, has cited PFI’s alleged involvement in four cases to support its claim—chopping off a professor’s palm in Kerala’s Idukki district, organising a training camp in Kannur from where the NIA reportedly seized swords, country-made bombs and ingredients for making IEDs, murder of RSS leader Rudresh in Bengaluru and plans to carry out terror attacks in South India by involving the outfit Islamic State Al-Hindi.

In an interview with TwoCircles.net last month month, the PFI chairman had rebuked all the charges and had alleged that NIA was being misused as a weapon against the organisation by the BJP government.

Courtesy: Two Cicles