PFI involved in 'disturbing' India's secular fabric: Officials
September 28, 2022 19:51
The Popular Front of India, banned on Wednesday, was indulging in "disturbing" the country's communal and secular fabric and "posing a grave threat" to national security by advancing its radical ideology and seeking to establish "political Islam" in India besides targeting Hindu activists, officials said.
According to officials monitoring activities of the PFI and its members, a secret 'service team' was formed, similar to the 'hit squads' whose main task was to provide security to senior PFI leaders and also kept track of Hindu leaders in their areas and plan action against them.
They alleged the PFI covertly organises training exercises, military-like drills, where participants are trained to use force and violence against certain religious groups, which are perceived as enemy of Islam.
They further alleged that since its inception, the PFI has been against Hindu organisations and its leaders and the group has a secret hit squad that engages in targeted killings of Hindu activists and those allegedly indulging in blasphemy.
The PFI is alleged to have been continuously involved in anti-government propaganda and spreading the narrative that Muslims were being persecuted in India.
It had allegedly taken a lead in organising anti-CAA protests during December 2019-March 2020 and many cases were registered against them which included 51 in Uttar Pradesh alone where the PFI-led platform, Samvidhan Suraksha Andolan, was among those which coordinated the anti-CAA agitations.
Through active involvement in the protests, the PFI was able to project itself as a prominent Muslim organisation capable of safeguarding interests of the community.
By projecting itself as champion of Muslim causes, the PFI had been successful in attracting new members over the years. Its role in Delhi riots was also investigated by the ED.
In recent years, the peaceful atmosphere of the country was threatened by PFI, which has presence in 17 states, officials said.
The murder of Praveen Nettaru in Bellare town on July 26 was one of the cases that exposed the violent character of PFI. Nettaru, a member of Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha and a local businessman, was hacked to death in typical ISIS style by bike-borne assailants and most of the accused in the case had affiliation with the PFI, the officials alleged.
Investigation by local police claimed a chilling tale of cold-blooded murder by PFI cadres and SDPI members in retaliation to killing of 19-year-old Masood, a Muslim migrant labourer.
A list of RSS and Bajrang Dal members of the town was prepared and few were selected to avenge Masood's death and Nettaru was chosen as he had commented on the halal issue, officials said.
Disputing the claims of the PFI of being a social organisation working for the uplift of Muslims, the officials said on the contrary, the ground actions of PFI tell a totally different story with several of its cadres having a violent history.
Over 1400 criminal cases had been registered against PFI cadres and its affiliates across the country including the UAPA, the Explosive Substances Act, Arms Act and other sections of the IPC.
The officials claimed that interrogation of the accused in various cases showed that the PFI would identify Muslim youths, from poor or middle class background, for physical training during which they were also inculcated with anti-Hindutva ideology.
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