According to the Intelligence Agencies, the role of the radical Islamist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI), a radical Islamic outfit, along with Bhim Army, an Ambedkarite organisation has come forth as one of the prime accused in instigating the CAA-related violence occurred in the western Uttar Pradesh and Delhi recently.
A string of violence related to arson, stone-pelting and firing ensued in Delhi of late where anti-CAA rioters went on a rampage against the pro-CAA supporters and disrupted the law and order of the National Capital. Now, a report of UP State Intelligence has revealed on the basis of Call Detail Records (CDRs) of a few key mobile phone numbers that violence that erupted in Delhi in the last two days was inextricably linked with the simultaneous violence that took place in Aligarh after the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
The state intelligence report also stated that officials of Bhima Army, who held a demonstration in Ambedkar park in Aligarh, met PFI officials on Sunday after submitting a memorandum to the city magistrate.
Following this, a group of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) students met Bhim Army and PFI leaders. The report further added that a large contingent under the leadership of Bhim Army reached a religious place in the town and states removing posters and shouting anti-government slogans.
When the police tried to take control of the deteriorating situation during Delhi violence, the demonstrators started attacking police personnel by pelting stones at them. The violence then touched off in Upper Court and Jamalpur area of the town where the anti-CAA riots were already underway.
“Simultaneous incidents of violence erupted in different parts of the city. It appears that stone pelting was orchestrated and the ensuing violence in the Northeast district of Delhi had links to Aligarh. We are trying to verify some crucial phone call data,” a Circle Officer of Aligarh police said.
There is an uncanny symmetry in the timing and the pattern of CAA related violence in Delhi and Aligarh. “Violence in both places was initiated by stone-pelting after which huge crowds gathered, leading to incidents of arson and looting,” he said.
“The riots that took place in Delhi had a stark resemblance to those that happened in Aligarh. In Aligarh shops were looted in Khair road area, while in Delhi’s Jaffrabad neighbourhood a petrol pump was set ablaze and several shops were ransacked,” he continued.
The police officer also highlighted yet another similarity between the violence in Aligarh and Delhi, saying policemen were targeted by the rampaging mob at both the places. “In attacks in Delhi, head constable Ratan Lal died and a DCP was seriously injured. In Aligarh Inspector Ravindra Kumar Singh and several constables were attacked by the mob,” he said.
Earlier, before these revelations about the Delhi violence, the Enforcement Directorate report had revealed to the Ministry of Home Affairs that the PFI spent about 120 crores in a month to orchestrate the violent riots in the country, naming eminent lawyers Kapil Sibal, Indira Jaising and Dushyant Dave also as the beneficiaries of PFI’s funding.
Overall, 120 crores were credited to a total of 73 accounts held by PFI, its related entity namely Rehab India foundation and several individuals associated with the PFI. Rs 120 crore was routed through 73 different bank accounts to avoid scrutiny.
In addition, PFI has its national headquarters located in Shaheen Bagh, the place where hundreds of Muslim women had staged a protest against the CAA and blocked one of the busiest arterial roads of the National Capital. The Enforcement Directorate had also established links between PFI leaders and official functionaries of the Bhim army.
The report by ED added that the State President of the PFI, Delhi, Mohammed Pervez Ahmed, was a key participant in Shaheen Bagh protest and was in touch with Bhima Army through several WhatsApp groups.
