Banned PFI tells UAPA tribunal that it helped people build resilience against ISIS propaganda

Anis Ahmed, an office-bearer of the PFI who is currently lodged in Tihar jail in Delhi, deposed that he had actively participated to oppose the propaganda of ISIS.

The Popular Front of India (PFI), which was banned under the anti-terror Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) last year, has told a UAPA tribunal that it has been “organising public campaigns to develop knowledge, skills and attitudes to help people build resilience against the ISIS propaganda”.

A UAPA tribunal, in an order dated March 21, upheld the ban against the PFI and other associated organisations. One of the grounds for the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to declare PFI as an “unlawful association” was its linkages with global terrorist groups such as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Jamaat ul Mujahideen, Bangladesh (JMB).

The PFI, in its defence, submitted that in 2017, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) — while probing a 2016 case pertaining to an ISIS recruit — shared digital evidence with the defence lawyer “that the accused had plotted conspiracies against PFI leaders as they were against ISIS.”

The submissions, which were part of the UAPA tribunal order, said, “The PFI had expressed anguish and concern against killings taking place every day in the name of Islamic State in its National General Assembly held on January 24, 2016.”

Anis Ahmed, an office-bearer of the PFI who is currently lodged in Tihar jail in Delhi, deposed that he had actively participated to oppose the propaganda of ISIS. He said he was a software engineer and accused the government, with the backing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), of misusing investigation agencies to wrongly prosecute PFI members.

He said that the PFI had no procedure for the documentation of memberships and no receipt or acknowledgement is issued to members. “Membership register was maintained at the local unit level. PFI does not issue any membership I-card,” Ahmed said during cross-examination. He denied the suggestion that the other eight banned organisations – Campus Front of India (CFI), Empower India Foundation (EIF), Rehab Foundation, Kerala, Rehab India Foundation, Junior Front, All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation (NCHRO) and National Women’s Front (NWF) are associates or affiliates or fronts of the PFI.

An MHA official deposed that the September 27, 2022 notification to ban the PFI was based on information and material received from intelligence and investigating agencies of the Centre and States and the decision was passed by the Union Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 25. A Cabinet note was prepared 15 days prior.