The Uttar Pradesh police have arrested 25 members of the Islamic fundamentalist outfit-Popular Front of India for their involvement in different criminal activities during the protests held against the Citizenship Amendment Act throughout the state.
Praveen Kumar, IG (Law & Order), Uttar Pradesh: 25 persons affiliated with Popular Front of India (PFI) have been arrested across the state, for their involvement in different criminal activities. pic.twitter.com/1ztLLpAvBX
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 1, 2020
On the other hand, DGP Uttar Pradesh, OP Singh has written a letter to the Home Ministry asking them to enforce a ban on Popular Front of India (PFI). The letter mentions that PFI was found involved in the various violent activities that took place in the state on December 19 during the protest against the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act.
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Popular Front of India (PFI): PFI’s role in violence is coming forward, Home Ministry will decide on further action based on evidence. There’re many allegations against them including connection with Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). pic.twitter.com/yhuBG7S3IW
— ANI (@ANI) January 1, 2020
Taking cognisance of the situation, the Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said that the role of PFI in instigating violence throughout the state is coming forward and claimed that there have been multiple allegations of PFI having connection with the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).
Claiming that PFI is acting at the behest of Pakistan’s ISI, the UP minister Mohsin Raza said that those who were involved with the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), after its ban made a new organisation-Popular Front of India. He alleged that PFI aims to radicalise youth and push them into extremism. Furthermore, he said that the functioning of the Muslim Personal Board should also be investigated.
Earlier, three people associated with the radical Islamic organisation PFI, including UP state head Waseem, were arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police for orchestrating violence by spreading misinformation through social media platforms. Singh had then said that the violence in AMU on December 15 was largely instigated by WhatsApp messages and Twitter posts stating that some Jamia Millia Islamia students were killed in police firing on December 15 in Delhi.
The state intelligence assessment report regarding violent demonstrations in Uttar Pradesh against the CAA revealed that the outrage was spontaneous, however, the accompanying violence was largely organized. The report also disclosed Simi’s alleged new offshoot- Popular Front of India (PFI)’s role in in mobilizing, arson, firing and bombing communally sensitive areas of the state. According to the intelligence reports, AMU has become a new stronghold of the PFI, which saw widespread violence on December 15 under the pretext of ‘peaceful demonstrations’ against the CAA.
