The PFI has a strong communal and anti-national agenda and wishes to establish Islamic rule in India: Indian Government

*Paromita Das

The Center has requested information about the controversial Islamic organization Popular Front of India (PFI) from various investigating and intelligence agencies over the last month.

In March, a key document was updated in which all agencies shared information about the outfit.

The most recent information released by the agencies contains troubling details, such as the government being told that “PFI has a hidden agenda that aims to establish Islamic rule in India, radicalise Muslims, and communalize issues involving Muslims and other communities.”
After analyzing intelligence reports, court judgments, state findings against PFI, and dossiers filed by various states and agencies between 2017 and 2022, various intelligence and investigating agencies prepared multiple reports that were recently sent to the government of India.

PFI’s ideology, leadership, links with global terror outfits, radical activity; its frontal organization, funding and cases and linkages in cases, as well as court orders against its cadres, are all covered in a detailed report that was recently submitted.

According to the document, which News18 reviewed, the PFI has a “strong communal and anti-national agenda.” Several instances of the organization being involved in violent/radical activities have come to light, and PFI workers have murdered/attacked many Hindu activists, according to the government.

According to information provided to the Center by an investigating agency, “the declared goal of PFI is ostensibly social service.” Its activities, however, and its unstated goals, have a strong communal and anti-national agenda. PFI is secretly pursuing its hidden agenda, which includes establishing Islamic rule in India, radicalising Muslims, and communalizing issues involving Muslims and other communities. Its ideology aims to undermine the concepts of democracy, secularism, and nationalism. The banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) has an open face in the Popular Front of India (PFI).”

According to the agencies, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) is the political wing of the PFI formed with the intention of registering with the Election Commission of India and fighting elections for the PFI. The Campus Front of India (CFI) is the PFI’s student wing. Aside from these, they said, PFI controls a number of other units that are involved in conversions, fund collections, and so on.

An intelligence agency said of PFI’s activities, “Some PFI workers are known to have joined terror groups such as ISIS/ISKP.” The organization receives funds from expatriate Muslims in the form of ‘Zakat,’ which is then used to fund mosque construction, madrasa operations, and other racial and criminal activities.”
According to the government, the organization has various overseas wings, including the Indian Fraternity Forum (IFF), Indian Social Forum (ISF), and others, and is active in West Asian countries.

PFI has been found to be involved in a number of cases, the details of which have been made public. The organization is suspected of inciting violence in Assam’s Darrang district in September 2021 during a police eviction drive against encroachers.

According to agencies, in December 2020, PFI-connected men were found to be involved in inciting protesters to clash with police and inciting violence across the country.
It has also been suggested that it played a role in the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests and the North-East Delhi riots.

Riots erupted in North-East Delhi on February 23, 2020, as a result of clashes between opponents and supporters of the CAA. The violence escalated into a communal outburst, resulting in the deaths of over 53 people and extensive property damage.

According to the document, the riots also have an alleged PFI footprint, which has been blamed for instigating and motivating Muslims in the area to carry out the attacks.

According to the government, the PFI holds training camps for select cadres, particularly those from “hit squads,” in handling weapons and fabricating improvised explosive devices (EIDs).
Several court orders have also been issued against PFI cadre, revealing links to terrorist organizations.

In January 2016, a Special NIA Court in Kochi convicted 21 PFI cadres for conducting arms and explosives training at Narath in Kerala’s Kannur district.

In addition, 13 PFI cadres were convicted in October 2013, and more are on trial in the same court for their active ties with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

The document details around 30 instances of PFI criminal activity or murder, including the murder of RSS activist Sanjith in November last year and the murder of BJP worker Ranjith Srinivasan in Kerala in December last year.

A comprehensive report detailing PFI’s terror links has been shared.