Office-bearer of banned PFI arrested on charge of 'conspiracy against govt'

News Network

February 4, 2023

Bhopal, Feb 4: The Madhya Pradesh Police have arrested an office-bearer of the now-banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) from Bhopal on the charge of conspiring against the government and indulging in unlawful activities, an official said.

The arrest was made on Friday in connection with a case registered by the state police's Special Task Force (STF) last year, he said.

"PFI member Wasid Khan (26), a resident of Sheopur, was arrested under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 121A (conspiracy to wage war against govt), 153B (assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) besides the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act," the official said.

Khan was associated with the PFI and had been attending the organisation's various programmes and secret meetings since 2017, he said. In 2019, Khan joined PFI's legal cell National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation (NCHRO) and held the post of its state general secretary, the official added.

Following his arrest, Khan was presented in a local court, which remanded him in police custody till February 8.

In September last year, the Centre had banned PFI and several of its associates for five years under a stringent anti-terror law, accusing them of having "links" with global terror groups like ISIS.

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Saffron wave sweeps Udupi during PM Modi’s roadshow

coastaldigest.com news network

November 28,2025

Udupi district transformed into a sea of saffron and celebration on Friday, November 28, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s roadshow swept through the coastal temple town. Thousands of residents lined the streets, turning the event into a vibrant public spectacle filled with cheers, flags, and festive energy.

The procession route—from the helipad to the historic Sri Krishna Math—was decked with buntings, saffron flags, and multilayered security barricades. One of the district’s largest-ever security deployments was put in place for the high-profile visit, with over 3,000 police personnel on duty. The arrangement included ten SPs, 27 DSPs, 49 inspectors, 127 sub-inspectors, 232 assistant sub-inspectors, 1,608 constables, and 39 women staff.

Six platoons of the Karnataka State Reserve Police, six Quick Response Teams, bomb detection units, and dog squads were stationed across Udupi. Enhanced surveillance covered Adi Udupi, Bannanje bus stand, and the Sri Krishna Math parking zone, with combing operations carried out along the roadshow corridor.

At the 800-year-old Sri Krishna Math, preparations reached a ceremonial peak. Paryaya Puttige Math seer Sugunendra Teertha Swamiji said the Prime Minister would take part in the Laksha Kantha Geetha Parayana, a mass chanting of the Bhagavad Gita by one lakh devotees, and inaugurate the new Suvarna Teertha Mantapa.

“He will first offer floral tributes to saint-poet Kanakadasa and then unveil the golden covering over the Kanakana Kindi,” the seer said.

The Prime Minister will also receive a Poorna Kumbha welcome and have darshan of Lord Sri Krishna, Mukhyaprana Devaru, and the Suvarna Paduke. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Minister Bairathi Suresh, Dharmadhikari D. Veerendra Heggade, and seers from the Ashta Maths are expected to join the ceremony.

Ahead of his arrival, the Prime Minister posted on X that he felt “honoured” to attend the spiritually significant gathering. “This is a special occasion that brings together people from different sections of society for a recital of the Gita. This Matha has a very special significance in our cultural life,” he wrote, noting the institution’s long-standing legacy rooted in the teachings of Sri Madhvacharya.

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