The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has started 2022 with some big-ticket actions. Continuing on, the government body has decided to take decisive action on the AFMI trust. The trust is one of the main organisations accused of funding the Delhi riots.
AFMI loses its FCRA license
Vadodara based American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin (AFMI) trust has lost the license given to it under Foreign Contributions and Regulation Act (FCRA). The revoking of license comes after Vadodara’s police charge sheet named the trust for allegedly siphoning off foreign funds received by the NGO for illegal Islamic activities.
AFMI became the only trust to lose license from the state. The state police are also looking to involve Interpol in issuing a red corner notice against Abdullah Fefdawala and Mustafa Thanawala. They are accused of sending hawala funds to Salauddin Sheikh, the managing trustee.
Both accused are in hiding
Police tried to contact both the accused, but apparently, they have disabled their digital footprints as well. D S Chauhan, assistant Vadodara city commissioner of Police said, “The two accused did not respond to the summons. They have also disabled their email addresses and phone numbers… Our investigation has revealed that Sheikh also facilitated money to two persons in Bharuch district to execute illegal religious conversions to Islam,”
Fefdawala is one of the biggest beneficiaries of the American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin (AFMI) trust, being run by Salauddin Sheikh, who has been arrested for both Hawala transactions and religious conversion racket. The trust was used for hawala transactions which helped in the construction of 400 flats for illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingya Muslims who broke into the Indian Territory.
Read more: Meet Fefdawala Haji Abdullah: The mastermind of India’s biggest Islamic conversion syndicate
The police are probing appropriation of a total of 80 crores. The UK based Al-Falah Trust is the main funding body. The charge sheet says, “AFMI Trust, in collusion with IH Kasuwala Firm, siphoned off Rs 1.65 crore by presenting fake invoices issued to the trust,”. Furthermore, details of siphoning off a total of 19 crores have been mentioned in the charge sheet.
Government’s crackdown on nefarious NGOs
Recently, more than 6,000 non-government organisations (NGOs) had lost their license given to them under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). One of them includes ‘missionaries of charity’. The impact of Modi govt’s crackdown on Mother Teresa’s organisation was heard in the United Kingdom (UK) as well.
Ever Since the Modi government came to power in 2014, it has launched a series of actions on NGOs destabilising India with the help of foreign funds. Most of these NGOs are now struggling to find their feet in India. It is a clear message to foreign adversaries that any attempt to tinker with India will be met with harsh measures.