Nearly 200 Popular Front of India (PFI) members were detained early on Tuesday amid fresh raids in seven states. Sources told News18 that state police is conducting searches in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Assam, Karnataka, Delhi and Maharashtra after central agencies received inputs suggesting that PFI is “planning violent protests” against the earlier massive search by NIA, ED and police.
Top intelligence sources said that by 6 am, over 170 cadres were detained during raids in 200 places in seven states. The fresh searches have come a day after an intelligence note, accessed by News18, suggested that PFI is planning to target government agencies and BJP and RSS leaders and their organisations.
The PFI is planning a serious and sinister way to disturb public peace and tranquillity. They are “upset” after their senior leaders were detained in Tihar prison in New Delhi, according to the note.
The note further stated that the PFI cadres have chosen to retaliate violently against the government. They have taken recourse to depute ‘bayathees’, in Arabic means ‘agents of death’ or ‘fidayeen’, who pledge their allegiance to their Amir (chief) either to kill or get killed.
The ‘bayathees’ have been tasked to target the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Enforcement Directorate (ED), police and other government officials who are learnt to be inimical to their interests.
They also have Hindu outfits and leaders as targets to communalise the situation and create hatred among people.
The note suggested that their modus operandi could be lone wolf attacks. In this, as per their code of conduct, except for the Amir, no one else will be in the knowhow of the plan even the identity or details of the target.
According to top government sources, the PFI has identified some top BJP leaders and RSS functionaries as their targets. The security of the leaders has been tightened and they have been asked to stay under security protocols.
News18 had earlier reported that PFI wanted to attack several RSS leaders and had conducted recce of ‘Shakhas’ after which security was beefed up.
The proscribed outfit has been accused of orchestrating several political murders of BJP and RSS activists in the past, especially in Kerala, though it has denied the allegations.
Founded in Kerala in 2006, PFI claims to strive for a neo-social movement ostensibly for the empowerment of marginalised sections of India and emerged in the aftermath of the ban on the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).
The PFI has been involved in several controversies in the past few months, including the Karnataka’s hijab case, the Hathras rape and murder and the Citizenship Act Amendment protests. Recently, the PFI hogged headlines after the Bihar Police unearthed a terror module in Phulwari Sharif, a suburb of Patna, and revealed the outfit’s sinister plan to “make India an Islamic country by the year 2047”.
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