In a recent development, the Supreme Court has rejected the Popular Front of India’s (PFI) plea challenging a Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) Tribunal order that upheld the five-year ban imposed on the organization by the Central government. The bench, presided over by Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M. Trivedi, ruled on the matter and advised the PFI to initiate proceedings in the high court as the “constitutional writ jurisdiction ought to be the forum approached first.”
This decision comes after the Central government had banned the PFI for a period of five years in 2022, citing alleged connections with global terrorist groups and involvement in terror funding. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a notification, stating that the PFI’s activities were deemed “subversive,” causing disturbances to public order, undermining the constitutional framework of the country, and promoting a terror-based regressive regime. The Supreme Court’s ruling directs the PFI to address their concerns with the relevant high court, granting them the liberty to do so.
