Mumbai: PFI aimed at Islamic Rule by 2047, claims ATS charge sheet

The closing down of a PFI office in Navi Mumbai after the Union Home Ministry banned the organisation in 2022

The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), in its charge sheet against five members of the banned organisation Popular Front Of India (PFI), has claimed that it planned to bring Islamic rule in India by 2047. The agency has cited a booklet seized from the PFI members detailing a four-stage strategy to reach their goal, also including the alleged brainwashing of the Muslim population.

The Mumbai ATS, which had arrested the five members, filed a 1113-page-long charge sheet on February 2. The booklet is titled ‘Roadmap for regaining the glory of Islam in India by 2047'. It begins by providing some details of the Muslim population in India and then states, "Alas, once the ruling community of the country, Muslims have now been relegated as the second grade citizens."

Delving into the conditions of the Muslim community, the booklet claims that the rights of Muslims are being snatched by the Indian government. "The privileges earlier enjoyed by Muslims in terms of property rights, etc. were withdrawn, government jobs were denied, and trade facilities were restricted. Since the dawn of Independence, the Government of India is dominated by upper caste Hindus who adopted discriminatory measures against Muslims," the booklet reads.

An arrested member of PFI being taken into custody after being produced before CBD Belapur Court in Navi Mumbai in 2022. File pic

After making a case about the marginalisation of Muslims, the booklet details PFI's plan to rally the Muslim population. "If we look into the history of Islam, Muslims were always in minority and for victory we do not need to have a majority. Popular Front of India (PFI) is confident that even if 10 per cent of the total Muslim population rallies behind it, PFI would subjugate the coward majority community to their knees and bring back the glory of Islam in India," the booklet states.

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Four-stage strategy

The booklet then presents its four-stage strategy, wherein Stage 1 reads, "We (PFI) need to establish ourselves wherever Muslims are available and try to unite them all under the flag of Popular Front of India irrespective of their sects and affiliations. For this, one needs to repeatedly remind the community of its grievances and establish grievances where there are none. All our frontal organisations, including Party (PFI), should be focussed on expanding and recruiting new members."

For Stage 2, the document reads, "We have to strengthen and spread the narrative of grievances far and wide, endeavour for mass mobilisation under the leadership of PFI and use violence selectively to demonstrate our strength and terrorise our opponents while limiting exposure of our trained cadres to security forces. From all the cadres who are being given PE (physical education), those with talent are to be spotted and recruited to be given advanced training on weapons, including firearms and explosives. Meantime, Party (PFI) should utilise concepts such as ‘National Flag', ‘Constitution', and ‘Ambedkar' to shield the real intention of establishing an Islamic rule and to reach out to SCs/STs/OBCs. We would reach out to executive and judiciary and also strive to infiltrate our members at all levels in order to gather information and get favourable outcomes in matters of our interest. Further, liaisoning is to be established with foreign Islamic countries for funding and other help."

Under Stage 3, the booklet read, "Party (PFI) should form close alliances with SCs/STs/OBCs and win elections at all levels at least in few seats. The Party should gain the trust of 50 per cent of Muslims and 10 per cent of SCs/STs/OBCs in this stage. Political victories should be utilised to further expand the organisation and the Party. We need to create a split between RSS and SCs/STs/OBCs by projecting that RSS is an organisation interested only in the welfare of the upper-caste Hindus. We need to discredit existing so-called secular parties by questioning their secularism and projecting the need for Muslims and SCs/STs/OBCs to have their own parties to project their interest."

Under Stage 4, the document reads, "Party (PFI) should become the undisputed leader and representative of the entire Muslim community by sidelining all other Muslim organisations. The Party should also gain the trust of 50 per cent of SCs/STs/OBCs and emerge as their representative, too. At this stage, this vote share would be sufficient for the Party (PFI) to gain political power at the national level. Once in power, all important positions in the executive and judiciary as well as the police and Army, are to be filled with loyal cadres. The doors of all Government departments, including the Army and police, would be opened to be filled with loyal Muslims and SCs/STs/OBCs to correct the past injustice and imbalances in their recruitment. The actions of our PE department would become more overt and the number of cadres would be exponentially increased at this stage. Those against our interest are to be eliminated. These PE cadres would also act as a safeguard against the influence of security forces by our opponents. When we have enough trained cadres and stockpiling of arms, we would declare a new Constitution based on Islamic principles. External forces would also come for help at this stage. There would be systematic and widespread elimination of our opponents and return of Islamic glory."

Grievances

PFI also discussed the establishment of grievances and mass mobilisation. The document claims that the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) is controlling the Indian government to suppress Islam in India. "The deficit of trust between the Government and the Muslim community has become so wide. Muslim community should always be reminded about the atrocities perpetrated upon them during demolition of Babri Masjid, communal riots and lynching of Muslims. There must be concerted efforts by all State units to make Muslims believe that the RSS-led Government was planning to declare India a Hindu Rashtra and drive Muslims out of the country."

Outreach and recruitment

The document outlines the process of outreach which includes recruiting the maximum number of people from families and, if this were not possible, then enrolling them in any frontal organisation of PFI, and if that were to fail, circulating physical magazines and articles, and sharing content on social media. The document further discusses giving PE and weapons training to members.

"State units should continue organising PE classes at grassroots level on a priority basis under the camouflage of yoga sessions and Healthy People Healthy Nation campaign. Our PE trainers are being sent state to state to impart training to PFI members in weapon handling and explosives," the document reads, adding that there was a need to set up training facilities for PE training and depots for stockpiling of arms and explosives. The document mentions that the PFI has established friendly relations with Turkey, which is an Islamic country.

The five PFI members - Mazhar Mansoor Khan, Shaikh Sadiq Quraishi, Mohammed Iqbal Khan, Moinuddin Momin, and Mohammed Asif Khan - were arrested in 2022. Following the Union Home Ministry's ban on PFI, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other state agencies, including Maharashtra ATS, carried out raids in Mumbai and Maharashtra and dozens of PFI office bearers were arrested.

Feb 2
Day ATS filed the charge sheet