High alert as agencies suspect PFI may look to re-emerge faster than expected

The NIA during the pan-India raids had seized incriminating material which spoke about the PFI's evil designs to set up the rule of Islam in India by 2047

New Delhi, Jan 23: With several elections coming up this year and then leading on to the Parliamentary elections in 2024, the Intelligence agencies are on high alert.

One of the biggest worries for the agencies are the re-emergence of the Popular Front of India (PFI) and the spread of the Islamic State. A recent article by the Islamic State on its propaganda magazine, Voice of Khorasan, it has criticised the ban on the PFI. The article also calls on the Indian Muslims to target Hindus and the government and also terrorise the people. It also speaks about many members of the PFI joining the Islamic State and attaining so-called martyrdom.

When the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) banned the PFI in September last year, it had clearly mentioned that the outfit was recruiting for the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda. Further it had also been found that several members of this outfit had joined the Islamic State, the NIA had pointed out earlier.

"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 had said after the pan-India raids on the PFI.

A re-birth:

An Intelligence Bureau official tells OneIndia that the PFI. would look to re-emerge in another avatar. The following months would be very crucial as the Islamic State would look to take the space of the PFI. The PFI on the other hand may try and re-emerge in another form with another name, the official also said.

Following the ban, the PFI changed from the Media Popular Front of India or Popular Front of India to Media Update. Many accounts of its student's wing, Campus Front of India too changed to Intifada which means a series of riots and violence launched by Jihadis against the government. According to Wikipedia, Intifada means, rebellion, uprising or resistance movement.

Another official said that post the ban many operatives have gone underground and they may look to re-emerge. The same was seen in the case of the Students Islamic Movement of India which re-branded itself as Indian Mujahideen post the ban. This would mean that the agencies have to constantly monitor the outfit and ensure that the crackdowns continue.

How the SIMI came back:

In 2013, the National Investigation Agency arrested one Abdul Sattar an operative of the SIMI. He revealed during the probe that a secret terror camp had been held in Wagamon Kerala in 2007 and it was here that the Indian Mujahideen had been formed.

He also said that 40 members from various parts of the country had visited this camp and it was decided to break into smaller groups and then launch an offensive against the government of India. Sattar said similar camps were held in Hubbali, Karnataka under the leadership of Safdar Nagori.

At the camp a core team of 20 was formed and each of them was assigned a state.

Officials cited above said that the PFI may try and pull off something similar. The material seized by the NIA show how deeply infested the outfit is and how it planned on setting up Islamic rule in India by 2047. The PFI thanks to political patronage especially in Kerala has managed to get away scot free and this helped it in setting up such a network. The PFI would look to reactivate the network with the help of those operatives who have gone underground and hence it becomes important for the agencies to continue with their crackdown and keep the heat up on it.