At least 200 Popular Front of India (PFI) members were detained early Tuesday after fresh raids were conducted in 200 places across seven states. Police conducted searches in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Delhi, Karnataka and Maharashtra, sources were quoted by News18 as saying.
The raids took place after central agencies reportedly received inputs suggesting that the PFI was "planning violent protests" against the "largest-ever" investigation carried out by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Enforcement Directorate (ED) and police last week.
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The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) on Tuesday moved the High Court here seeking directions to the Popular Front of India (PFI) to compensate for the loss of over Rs five crore caused to it due to damage to its buses and a reduction in services during the hartal on September 23.
against holding protests amid the ongoing crackdown agains 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.
#UPDATE | 30 people have been arrested, says Delhi Police
Joint raids by a Central agency and Delhi Police are underway at places related to PFI in different parts of the national capital including Nizamuddin, Shaheen Bagh area.— ANI (@ANI) September 27, 2022
Assam | 4 persons linked with PFI detained from the Nagarbera area today. Our operation against PFI is on in many parts of the district: Hiren Nath, ADGP (Special Branch) Assam pic.twitter.com/qTUIEz8PSk
— ANI (@ANI) September 27, 2022
#UPDATE | 13 people have been detained from Aurangabad and 2 from Malegaon. All are active members of PFI, interrogation is going on: Maharashtra ATS
— ANI (@ANI) September 27, 2022
'Upset' PFI's sinister plan
The fresh raids were conducted a day after an intelligence note suggested that PFI is planning to target government agencies along with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders and their organisations.
The note, accessed by News18, reportedly read that 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, it said.
It stated stated that the PFI cadres have chosen to retaliate violently against the government. The leaders have taken recourse to depute ‘bayathees’ who pledge their allegiance to their Amir (chief) either to kill or get killed, News 18 reported on Tuersday. ‘Bayathees’ means ‘agents of death’ or ‘fidayeen’ in Arabic.
The ‘bayathees’ have been tasked to target the NIA, ED, police and other government officials who are learnt to be inimical to their interests. The PFI also identified some top BJP leaders and RSS functionaries as their targets, top government sources were quoted as saying.
According to the note, the PFI cadres' 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.
The PFI has been involved in several controversies, including the Karnataka’s hijab case, the Hathras rape and murder and the Citizenship Act Amendment protests.
Recently, the PFI grabbed headlines when central agency launched probed into the suspected terror module allegedly linked to the organization in connection with the Phulwari Sharif case.
First Published: Sept 27, 2022 10:49 AM IST
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