The Enforcement Directorate (ED) claims to have found a “financial link” between the Kerala-based Popular Front of India (PFI) and the violent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The agency's claims come at a time when the Uttar Pradesh police is seeking a ban on the extremist organisation, accusing it of having a role in the violence during the protests in Lucknow and other cities in the state.
Quoting official sources, news agency PTI reported that the ED has found that at least Rs 1.04 crore was deposited in several bank accounts linked to the organisation between December 4 last year and January 6 this year. The ED suspects that this money has been used to fuel the anti-CAA protests in Uttar Pradesh and other parts of the country.
Uttar Pradesh witnessed maximum number of violent protests against the new legislation.
According to the new legislation, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, but not Muslims, who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, till December 31, 2014, facing religious persecution there, will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.
The sources told PTI that a total amount of Rs 120 crore, credited to bank accounts linked to the PFI, is under the scanner of ED which has been probing a money laundering case against the organisation since 2018.
The ED has also shared its latest findings with the Union home ministry.
The withdrawal of money from the bank accounts linked to PFI and its related entities had a "direct correlation" with the violent demonstrations against the CAA, the sources told the news agency.
The PFI, however, rejected the claims and said those who are levelling such allegations should prove them.
"The Popular Front of India has stated it multiple times that we fully comply with the law of the land and the allegation of Rs 120 crore transferred from the Popular Front's accounts just before the CAA protests is totally baseless and the people who are levelling these allegations should prove these claims," the PFI said in a statement.
It further said: "We are confident that the fate of this series of allegations will also be like the ones before, which could never be proved.”
Earlier this month, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had said the outfit's role in the violence during anti-CAA protests was “coming forward”.
“PFI's role in violence is coming forward. The Home Ministry will decide on further action based on evidence. There are many allegations against them including (its) connection with the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI),” Prasad had said.
PFI was formed in 2006 as a successor to the National Development Front.
With inputs from PTI
