Popular Front of India's Twitter handle taken down after Centre bans outfit

New Delhi: The Twitter handle of the Popular Front of India (PFI) was taken down on Thursday, a day after the group was banned by the government for five years for allegedly having "links" with global terror organisations like the ISIS and trying to spread communal hatred in the country.

"Account Withheld. @PFIOfficial's account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand," a message in the page read.

The PFI was accused of indulging in "disturbing" communal and secular fabric of the country and "posing a grave threat" to the national security by advancing its radical ideology and calling for establishment of political Islam in India besides allegedly carrying out targeted killings of Hindu activists.

The PFI, the home ministry alleged, is encouraging and trying to enforce a terror-based regressive regime, continue to propagate anti-national sentiments and radicalising a particular section of society to create disaffection against the country, aggravating activities which are detrimental to the integrity, security and sovereignty of the country.