The Centre in the past month has sought details about the controversial Islamic organisation Popular Front of India (PFI) from various investigating and intelligence agencies, News18 has learnt. A key document has been updated in March in which all agencies have shared information about the outfit.
The latest information disclosed by the agencies has disquieting details, where the government has been told that “PFI has a hidden agenda which aims to establish the Islamic rule in India, radicalization of Muslims and communalization of issues involving Muslims and other communities”.
Various intelligence and investigating agencies after analysing intelligence reports, court judgements, state findings against PFI, and dossiers that were filed by different states and agencies from 2017 to 2022 have prepared multiple reports that have been sent to the government of India recently.
A detailed report recently submitted is divided into 11 parts, including PFI’s ideology, leadership, links with global terror outfits, radical activity, its frontal organisation, funding and cases and linkages in cases, along with court orders against its cadres.
The document, reviewed by News18, says that PFI has a “strong communal and anti-national agenda”. Several instances of the organisation being involved in violent/radical activities have come to notice and PFI workers have murdered/attacked many activists of Hindu groups, the government has been told.
As per the details shared with the Centre by an investigating agency, “The declared objective of PFI is ostensibly social service. However, its activities and undeclared objectives have a strong communal and anti-national agenda. PFI is secretly serving its hidden agenda which aims to establish the Islamic rule in India, radicalization of Muslims and communalization of issues involving Muslims and other communities. Its ideology aims at and works towards undermining the concepts of democracy, secularism and nationalism. Popular Front of India (PFI) is the open face of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).”
The government has been told by the agencies that the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) is the political wing of PFI formed with an aim to register with the Election Commission of India and fight elections for the PFI. The Campus Front of India (CFI) is the student wing of the PFI. Besides these there are several other units controlled by PFI which are active in conversions, fund collections, etc, they said.
While giving details about PFI’s activity, an intelligence agency said, “Some PFI workers are known to have joined terror groups like ISIS/ISKP. The organisation getting funds from expatriate Muslims in the name of ‘Zakat’ and same is utilised for financing construction of mosques, running madrasas and other radial and criminal activities.”
The organisation has various overseas wings, including the Indian Fraternity Forum (IFF), Indian Social Forum (ISF), etc, and they are active in West Asian countries, the government has been told.
PFI has been found to be involved in various cases, details of which have been put on record.
The organisation is suspected to have instigated violence in Assam’s Darrang district during a police eviction drive against encroachers in September 2021.
In December 2020, PFI-linked men were found involved in instigating protesters to clash with police and inciting violence across the nation, agencies say.
Also, its possible role in Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests and North-East Delhi riots have also been mentioned.
On February 23, 2020, riots broke out in North-East Delhi in the wake of clashes between opposers and supporters of the CAA. The violence took a communal turn and led to the death of over 53 people and extensive loss of property.
The riots also have an alleged PFI footprint, which has been blamed for instigating and motivating Muslims in the area for the attacks, the document reveals.
The government has been told that PFI conducts training camps for select cadres, especially those belonging to the “hit squads” in handling weapons and fabricating improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
There have been several court orders as well against the PFI cadre, exposing links to terror outfits.
A Special NIA Court in Kochi convicted 21 PFI cadres for conducting arms and explosives training at Narath in the Kannur district of Kerala in January 2016.
Also, 13 PFI cadres were convicted in October 2013 and some more are facing trial in the same court for their active nexus with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
The document has given around 30 instances of criminal activities or murders done by PFI, including the killing of RSS activist Sanjith that took place last year in November and the murder of BJP worker Ranjith Srinivasan in Kerala in December last year.
A comprehensive report has been shared giving details about PFI’s terror links.
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