STATE TIMES NEWS
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday said the Popular Front of India (PFI), a proscribed terrorist organisation, was working to create an Islamic movement in India through a “jihad” that included non-violent air raids and “guerilla theatre”, apart from various methods of cruelty and subjugation.
The federal agency issued a statement, saying it has attached fresh assets worth more than Rs 35 crore that are “beneficially-owned and controlled” by the PFI “in the name of various trusts, companies and individuals” as part of its ongoing probe against the outfit and entities linked to it.
The PFI was banned by the Centre in September 2022 after the ED, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and various state police forces carried out countrywide raids against its office-bearers and establishments.
The ED alleged that the real objectives of the PFI, formed in 2006 in Kerala but headquartered in Delhi, are “different” from the ones stated in its constitution.
“Real objectives of PFI include formation of an organisation for carrying out an Islamic movement in India through jihad, though PFI masquerades itself as a social movement.
“PFI claimed use of non-violent forms of protest but evidence reveals that the methods of protest employed by them are violent in nature,” the agency alleged.
It described some of the methods of protest used by the outfit for the preparation of a “civil war” by creating unrest and strife in the society, through “non-violent air raids, guerrilla theatre (street plays on social and political issues), alternative communication systems (non-mainstream media outlets) etc.”. It alleged that the PFI deployed some methods of cruelty and subjugation like haunting and taunting officials, fraternisation (establishing unethical relations or contacts), mock funerals, interdict (a strong prohibitory order), Lysistratic non-action or sexual abstinence.
The agency said the PFI undertook civil disobedience of laws, propounded dual sovereignty (holding more than one sovereign), creating parallel governments and disclosing identities of secret agents in order to “undermine” the unity and sovereignty of the country.
The outfit deployed tactics of “politically-motivated counterfeiting”, “preclusive purchasing” (buying strategic commodities in global markets to prevent an opponent from purchasing those), non-violent land seizure, seizure of assets, “selective patronage”, dumping (selling a commodity at a price lower than its market value to pressure an opponent) etc.
It has also been alleged by the ED that the PFI gave arms training under the garb of physical education classes, where they imparted “offensive and defensive” manoeuvres using different variations of blows, punches, kicks, knife and stick attacks. The outfit, according to the ED, was imparting “intensive” violent training to its cadre for attacks using punches, kicks, blows and also weapons like knives, sticks, sickles and swords. The PFI has also been charged with being “actively involved” in “inciting” violence and “fomenting trouble” during the February 2020 Delhi riots. It has also been alleged that PFI and CFI (Campus Front of India, the PFI’s student wing) members visited Hathras in Uttar Pradesh a few years ago with an intent to disturb communal harmony, incite communal riots and spread terror.
The ED has alleged that the PFI had planned to form a “terrorist gang” by collecting deadly weapons and explosive devices to launch attacks on important and sensitive places and individuals with an intent to undermine India’s unity, integrity and sovereignty, and disturb communal harmony.
The outfit has been accused of organising a training camp with an intent to cause disturbance during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Patna on July 12, 2022 and printing “incriminating” literature that had the potential to pose a threat to the unity, integrity and sovereignty of the country.
It has been alleged that the PFI conspired and raised funds from within the country and abroad through banking channels, “hawala”, donations etc. for “committing and financing” terror acts across India. “PFI had more than 13,000 active members in Singapore and Gulf countries, including Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
“PFI has formed well-defined district executive committees (DECs) for the non-resident Muslim diaspora living in the Gulf, which was tasked with collection of funds,” the ED said.
The agency said it has seized assets worth a total Rs 61.72 crore as part of its probe, arrested 26 PFI members and filed nine chargesheets.