Post-PFI ban Muslim youth run the risk of arrests, intimidation: Owaisi

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asadduddin Owaisi said the Muslims face the risk of arrests and intimidation by law enforcement agencies after the ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI). He, however, made it clear that he did not favour the Kerala-based Muslim-managed outfit.

While opposing the ban, he said the move is likely to be misused by the agencies as any Muslim who wishes to speak his mind will run the risk of arrest. “The way India’s electoral autarky is approaching fascism, every Muslim youth will now be arrested with a PFI pamphlet under India’s black law, UAPA,” Owaisi tweeted.

The AIMIM chief condemned the five-year ban on the PFI. He tweeted, “The way India’s electoral autarky is approaching fascism, every Muslim youth will now be arrested with a PFI pamphlet under India’s black law, UAPA.”

“Muslims have spent decades in prison before being acquitted by courts. I have opposed UAPA & will always oppose all actions under UAPA. It runs afoul the principle of liberty, which is part of basic structure of the constitution,” Owaisi tweeted.

He referred to the case of Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan who was arrested in 2020 on his way to Hathras to cover Dalit girl gang-rape and murder case. He said the case will also follow the timeline of Kappan, where any activist or journalist is randomly arrested and takes two years to even get bail. Kappan was booked under the UAPA by the Uttar Pradesh government.

“How come PFI is banned but organisations associated with convicts of Khaja Ajmeri bomb blasts aren’t? Why has the government not banned right wing majoritarian organisations?” Owaisi said.

While I've always opposed PFI's extreme & radical approach, I've always supported the democratic approach. This ban on PFI can't be supported as the actions of some individuals who commit crimes doesn't mean that the organization itself must be banned: AIMIM Chief A. Owaisi pic.twitter.com/nCrKgzkx5e

— ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2022

The Hyderabad MP, however, said he opposed PFI’s approach but he can’t support the ban on it. He said, “Actions of some individuals who commit crime do not mean that the organisation itself must be banned.”

The Union Home Ministry banned PFI and eight other associated organisations for five years. Following the ban, PFI General Secretary Abdul Sattar said as law-abiding citizens, the organisation accepted the central government’s decision to declare it as illegal. He said the outfit is being dissolved in view of the home ministry’s notification to ban it for five years.

“All PFI members and the public are informed that the Popular Front of India (PFI) has been dissolved. MHA has issued a notification banning PFI. As law-abiding citizens of our great country, the organisation accepts the decision,” said Sattar.

-INDIA NEWS STREAM