Agencies unearth another plot by PFI to establish Islamic rule in India by 2047

The agencies have warned that since its ban in September 2022, the PFI has been looking to come back with a re-branding. The second-tier cities is where the outfit would look to unleash violence

New Delhi, Feb 06: A book called '365 days: Through a Thousand Cuts by the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) speaks about the extremist agenda of the outfit.

In its chargesheet, the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) said that the PFI had planned on transforming India into an Islamic State by 2047.

The contents of the book retrieved from the mobile phones of one of the accused aims at brainwashing the Muslim community in India by portraying the current Indian dispersion under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not conducive to their community.

It also mentioned Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath and Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti and says that they must be countered and hate be spread against the Hindus in a bid to influencing young Muslims.

The Maharashtra ATS have so far arrested 21 members of the PFI, while its operatives continue to face crackdowns in other states as well.

In Bihar, the National Investigation Agency in a joint operation with the Bihar police carried out a massive raid in the Kuwa village on Friday and took eight persons into custody.

State of high-alert:

Since its ban in September, the agencies are keeping a close tab on the underground activities of the PFI. The agencies have flagged worries about the re-emergence of the outfit.

At the time of banning the PFI, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had said that the action was being taken as the outfit was indulging in terror activities. It also said that the members of the PFI had joined the Islamic State as well.

"During the investigation, based on materials collected, it has been disclosed that the accused named in the FIR were actively involved in the organised crimes and unlawful activities repeatedly, to terrorise other religious sections of the society, besides creating fear in the mind of general public based on the larger conspiracy hatched among themselves and others," the NIA said after the pan-India raids on the PFI. It may be recalled that the outfit was banned after the raids.

Agency sources tell OneIndia that the outfit will surely look to re-group. It was aware of the ban a year back and had cultivated its network of second-rung leaders. It would look to follow in the foot-steps of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), which had re-branded itself as the Indian Mujahideen, post the ban.

There are several operatives of the PFI who are still active and the outfit would look to activate them in the run up to the 2024 elections in a big to vitiated the atmosphere in the country, the official cited above also said.