PFI Ban: Delhi Police On High Alert, Additional Forces Deployed In Sensitive Areas

Following the ban, police activity has amplified in different areas of Delhi. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCPs) in different districts have taken to the streets to take stock of the situation.

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New Delhi: The Delhi Police is on high alert in order to maintain the law and order situation after the Centre imposed a ban on the Popular Front of Indian for five years, as reported by news agency ANI. Following the ban, police activity has amplified in different areas of the national capital. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCPs) in different districts have taken to the streets to take stock of the situation, ANI reported.

Recently, five people linked to PFI were arrested by the Delhi Police from the North East district, where the riots took place in 2020. "We are on alert mode. We are ready to handle any situation. North East district has been put under the active Yellow scheme, Orange scheme and Red scheme. Today, an exercise was conducted in North East district to check the effectiveness of the Yellow Scheme which is meant to deal with any exigency in the district," DCP Sanjay Kumar told ANI.

In the yellow scheme, teams of ACPs and SHO move to the place of disturbance immediately on receipt of a message. Along with that, another reserve component of force are put on high alert at the same time.  If the situation worsens in one police station area, the Orange scheme gets implemented in 3-4 police station areas. The red scheme becomes active in case the whole district gets affected.

According to Delhi Police, additional police forces will also be deployed in sensitive areas so that immediate action can be taken in case of any untoward incident, as reported by ANI. North West district DCP and other district DCPs conducted patrolling in their respective jurisdictions.

The Centre on Wednesday, issued a ban against The PFI and its affiliates with “immediate effect”. The ban came days after more than 100 PFI cadres were arrested in multiple raids conducted across India by National Investigation Agency, Enforcement Directorate and state agencies as well as police forces linked to the PFI cadres.

The Centre has directed all the states and the Union Territories to “exercise powers” of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against the outfit and its affiliates, ANI reported.

Besides PFI, the state governments and administration in UTs have been asked to use the powers of UAPA against its associates or affiliates or fronts including Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO), National Women's Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala. These PFI affiliates have also been banned by the Centre for five years under UAPA, as reported by ANI.

The notification issued by the Central Government clearly mentioned that the ban on PFI and its affiliates has been imposed for “indulging in unlawful activities” which are prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty and security of the country and have the potential of disturbing public peace and communal harmony of the country and supporting militancy in the country.

The Centre issued the ban based on the investigation carried out by its agencies, mentioning "the investigations have established clear linkages between PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts". The Centre's action also mentioned findings of agencies about a number of "instances of international linkages of PFI with Global Terrorist Groups like Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)", as reported by ANI.

The PFI and its associates are also charged for working covertly to increase the radicalization of one community by promoting a sense of insecurity in the country, which is substantiated by the fact that some PFI cadres have joined international terrorist organisations," as reported by ANI.

The PFI is further accused of its involvement in several criminal and terror cases as well as sheer disrespect towards the constitutional authority of the country. With funds and ideological support from outside, the PFI and its affiliates have been further accused of becoming a major threat to the internal security of the country, news agency ANI reported.

(With ANI Inputs)