The Uttar Pradesh government has recommended to the Centre to immediately ban Popular Front of India (PFI) for violent anti-CAA and NRC protests in the state. The letter of recommendation to ban the outfit was sent to the Centre by DGP OP Singh on Monday.
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya told mediapersons on Tuesday that PFI activists were behind all the violent protests across the state. “Such organisations will not be allowed to flourish and will be banned. We have sent a letter to the Centre to ban this outfit,” the Deputy CM said.
He said many members of PFI were once associated with the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).
“During the police investigation, it was found that the PFI activists were behind the violence in different parts of the state, particularly in Lucknow. We are committed to crushing these anti-national forces at any cost,” he said.
The DGP said he had sent a letter to the Centre seeking a ban on PFI. The letter was sent in the backdrop of a probe conducted by the UP police that found PFI’s involvement in the violent protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and National Register of Citizens (NRC) that took place in the state on December 19.
PFI was founded on November 22, 2006. UP police have arrested three PFI members, including its state president Waseem Ahmad, after the violence.