NEW DELHI: Popular Front of India (PFI), facing prospects of a ban under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act over alleged involvement of its cadres in terror cases and 'forced' conversions, on Saturday said it had written to the home ministry and NIA seeking to be heard on why it cannot be banned both "legally and democratically".
"PFI as an organisation cannot be banned. We have written to the home ministry, national security adviser and NIA asking for a hearing (before a decision is taken on imposing a ban on the outfit)," said PFI secretary Anis Ahmed at a press conference here. Describing PFI as a social organisation working for marginalised communities, especially Muslims, he claimed it had no links to terror and could not be held answerable for activists of its alleged 'front' organisations. One such activist Zainaba was found by NIA to be the common mentor behind the 'forced conversion' of two Kerala women, including Hadiya, to Islam.
The Supreme Court is hearing the case of Hadiya who converted to Islam before marrying a Muslim man, which her father termed as part of 'love jihad'. After the Kerala High Court annulled Hadiya's marriage and ordered her to live with parents, her husband approached the apex court.
"Zainaba is not a PFI member," Ahmed said adding that it was therefore for her alone, and not PFI, to offer any clarifications on the alleged sting operation where she is shown linking PFI and Sathyasarani to 'forced' conversions. "She has already claimed the (sting) video is doctored," he added. Incidentally, the NIA dossier on PFI forwarded to the home ministry describes Zainaba as the president of National Women's Front, "the women's wing of PFI".
Asked why PFI was offering legal help to Hadiya alias Akhila Asokan when it was not linked to her conversion in any way, Ahmed said it was only because "we believe that a right has been denied to the girl, who is a major, (to embrace Islam and marry of her own free will)".
Ahmed even denied that P Ahmed Sherief, the reported PFI leader shown in the media sting as acknowledging funding of the outfit through hawala, was a founder member of the outfit. The NIA dossier, however, lists one P Ahmed Sherief as the district committee member of PFI and co-coordinator of a PFI front, National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation (NCHRO).
Though Ahmed said PFI had consciously decided to keep away of politics, he admitted it was supporting Social Democratic Party of India, active in Kerala, and that both PFI and SDPI had common members.
NIA confirmed on Saturday that it had indeed received a representation from PFI seeking to be heard, but only said the letter had been documented in the case file for now.
"PFI as an organisation cannot be banned. We have written to the home ministry, national security adviser and NIA asking for a hearing (before a decision is taken on imposing a ban on the outfit)," said PFI secretary Anis Ahmed at a press conference here. Describing PFI as a social organisation working for marginalised communities, especially Muslims, he claimed it had no links to terror and could not be held answerable for activists of its alleged 'front' organisations. One such activist Zainaba was found by NIA to be the common mentor behind the 'forced conversion' of two Kerala women, including Hadiya, to Islam.
The Supreme Court is hearing the case of Hadiya who converted to Islam before marrying a Muslim man, which her father termed as part of 'love jihad'. After the Kerala High Court annulled Hadiya's marriage and ordered her to live with parents, her husband approached the apex court.
"Zainaba is not a PFI member," Ahmed said adding that it was therefore for her alone, and not PFI, to offer any clarifications on the alleged sting operation where she is shown linking PFI and Sathyasarani to 'forced' conversions. "She has already claimed the (sting) video is doctored," he added. Incidentally, the NIA dossier on PFI forwarded to the home ministry describes Zainaba as the president of National Women's Front, "the women's wing of PFI".
Asked why PFI was offering legal help to Hadiya alias Akhila Asokan when it was not linked to her conversion in any way, Ahmed said it was only because "we believe that a right has been denied to the girl, who is a major, (to embrace Islam and marry of her own free will)".
Ahmed even denied that P Ahmed Sherief, the reported PFI leader shown in the media sting as acknowledging funding of the outfit through hawala, was a founder member of the outfit. The NIA dossier, however, lists one P Ahmed Sherief as the district committee member of PFI and co-coordinator of a PFI front, National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation (NCHRO).
Though Ahmed said PFI had consciously decided to keep away of politics, he admitted it was supporting Social Democratic Party of India, active in Kerala, and that both PFI and SDPI had common members.
NIA confirmed on Saturday that it had indeed received a representation from PFI seeking to be heard, but only said the letter had been documented in the case file for now.
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