Hours after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other federal agencies conducted the second round of arrests and raids as part of its ‘largest’ nationwide crackdown on the radical Islamic organisation Popular Front of India (PFI) sources in the Delhi police revealed that PFI was planning major mass unrest in Delhi and several other states, a Times Now report said.
The source was quoted by the media house as saying that the radical outfit was planning to organise a Shaheen Bagh-style protest. Moreover, they were planning mass riots and communal tension, riding on the sympathy wave, said sources.
Moreover, the report quotes the source in the Delhi police as saying that the investigation revealed that PFI had built intelligence units operating at the district level which would gather information and pass it on to their cadre. They were allegedly responsible for collating information for PFI’s hit list as well, Times Now reported.
Further, speaking about the PFI plot News 18 also quoted a source as saying that the members of the radical Islamic organisation wanted a repeat of the 2020 North-East anti-Hindu riots.
PFI planning a repeat of the 2020 North-east Delhi riots
A report by News 18 quoted a source as saying that PFI’s one group was involved in mass mobilisation to gain international sympathy and calls were made for legal assistance. These groups seem political, but they have terror links and wanted a repeat of the riots like in East Delhi, said sources.
Additionally, the students of Jamia Millia University in Delhi have been warned against holding protests amid the ongoing crackdown against PFI in the city. Section 144 has been imposed in the entire Jamia Nagar area, where Jamia University is situated, from September 19 to November 11 in order to keep the law and order situation in check, News 18 reported.
Notably, the 2020 Delhi anti-Hindu riots were not any stand-alone incident but a culmination of what began on December 11th, 2019 and the so-called ‘anti-CAA protests’ at the Shaheen Bagh planned and orchestrated by Sharjeel Imam was one of the many plots that were simultaneously being hatched by the ultra-left-wing secessionists and Islamists to push their anti-India agenda and create anarchy in the country ahead of the Delhi elections.
The ‘Shaheen Bagh’ protest, which was supposed to be a ‘peaceful protest’ never turned out to be one, and many other such ploys ultimately culminated in what could be called one of the worst anti-Hindu riots that India ever witnessed in recent years.
Second round of NIA raids
Meanwhile, on September 27, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), along with other investigation agencies, carried out the second round of raids on the Islamist organisation Popular Front of India. As per reports, the raids took place in eight different states and the investigation agencies detained a total of 170 members have been detained till Tuesday (September 27, 2022) amid the ongoing raids against radical Islamic organization Popular Front of India (PFI) across the country.
NIA has also reportedly received a lot of crucial information during the interrogation of the PFI leaders who were arrested during the first round of the raids. Based on the information, NIA, state police, and other investigation agencies carried out the second round of raids against the organisation.
Round one of NIA raids
On September 22, the NIA, Enforcement Directorate and state police in 15 states raided locations linked to PFI. The raids were carried out at 93 locations in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, West Bengal, Bihar and Manipur. Over 100 PFI leaders and members were arrested by the investigation agencies.
The raids were conducted based on the inputs and evidence that the organisation was linked to terror funding across the country. PFI reportedly organised camps to provide arms training and radicalised the members of the community to join banned organisations. PFI chief OMA Salam’s house was also raided during the first round. Similar raids were conducted on September 19 as well.
PFI organised protests
Following the raids, PFI members in 15 states organised protests and accused the government of attacking the organisation. Interestingly, during one of the protests in Pune, PFI members raised ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans.