Ban on IRF is an assault on religious freedom: PFI

New Delhi, Nov 17: Popular Front Chairman KM Shareef condemned the five year ban enforced by central government on Islamic Research Foundation saying that the move is an assault on religious freedom guaranteed by the Constitution. The move is yet another example of the ongoing infringement of the civil rights of minorities and this ban is intended to hinder the constitutional rights of religious propagation.

Another serious concern in the use of draconian law like UAPA. Over the years we see the security agencies increasingly using UAPA to book individual and organizations belonging to the tribals, dalits and Muslims. In most cases UAPA is used when the investigation agencies fail to gather any evidence and finally use the draconian law as an escape route. Laws like UAPA have no place in a democracy and such laws will always be misused by the police under political pressure.

We demand the Central Government to revoke the ban on IRF and stop targeting minorities organizations involved in peaceful religious propagation. We also reiterate our demand to scrap UAPA immediately.