After 5-year ban, PFI official Twitter account ‘withheld’ in India

Twitter has ‘withheld’ the official Popular Front of India account a day after the central government banned PFI for a period of five years under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities Act. Twitter message on the PFI account shows, “@PFIOfficial's has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand” The Union government had yesterday had ordered the blocking of all the social media handles of PFI including its Twitter, YouTube channels, Instagram, and Facebook accounts. Ministry of Home Affairs in a statement said, “PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been 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," “And whereas, the central government, having regard to the above circumstances, is of the firm opinion that it is necessary to declare the PFI and its associated or affiliates or fronts as an unlawful association with immediate effect, and accordingly, in exercise of the powers conferred by the proviso to sub-section of section 2 of the said Act, the Central Government hereby directs that this notification shall, subject to any order that may be made under section 4 of the said Act, have effect for a period of five years from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette," It added The central government also directed all states and Union Territories to use their power under the UAPA against the PFI and its ‘affiliates’. The central government notification also declared Rehab India Foundation, Campus Front of India, All India Imams Council, National Confederation of Human Rights Organization, National Women’s Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala, as an ‘unlawful association’ under sub-section of section 3 of the UAPA.