Karnataka High Court dismissed the plea challenging the Central Government’s ban on Popular Front of India (PFI). The Central Government on September 28, declared PFI unlawful under UAPA and imposed a ban on it for five years.
The order was produced by a single judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna, based upon a plea filed by Karnataka PFI president Nasir Pasha. The plea was filed through his wife, as he is currently in judicial custody.
Senior Advocate Jayakumar S Patil argued on behalf of the petitioner and said that according to the provision to sub-section 3 of Section (3) under the UAPA act, it was obligatory on part of the competent authority to record separate and distinct reasons for bringing into force the ban with immediate effect, news outlet Live Law reported.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Union of India, said that the necessary reasons were supplied in the notification to impose the prohibition and that “there is nothing illegal about this.”
The Union Home Ministry announced the prohibition on PFI in September. The Ministry of Home Affairs used the UAPA to impose the ban, claiming that the PFI and its affiliates are related to terrorist organisations like ISIS.
