Kerala Islamist Networks Adapt After PFI Ban, Expand Political Footprint Ahead Of 2026 Polls | Exclusive

Last Updated:February 12, 2026, 15:44 IST

Parallel NGOs like Rehab India Foundation and the National Women’s Front reportedly continue welfare outreach, helping retain ideological loyalty while avoiding legal scrutiny

Kerala’s Islamist networks, long associated with the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI), have recalibrated their strategies to consolidate political and ideological influence ahead of the 2026 state elections, intelligence assessments have suggested to CNN-News18.

Since the September 28, 2022, ban on PFI, officials say the organisation’s cadres have largely resurfaced through the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). By mid-2025, SDPI had established booth-level committees in Malappuram, Kannur, and Kasaragod, absorbing former PFI organisers to bolster both electoral mobilisation and street-level influence. Analysts note that mainstream parties in Kerala are increasingly dependent on SDPI and Jamaat vote banks, signalling a shift from overt street power to calculated ballot power.

Intelligence inputs also flag the emergence of fresh aliases such as the Islamic Defence Forces of India (IDFI) following the 2025 death threat to Tamarasserry Bishop Remigiose Injaniyel. Parallel NGOs like Rehab India Foundation and the National Women’s Front reportedly continue welfare outreach, helping retain ideological loyalty while avoiding legal scrutiny.

Historical and recent probes, including Operation Pigeon (2016–2018) and NIA assessments (2024–2025), indicate that north Kerala remains the highest concentration of IS sympathisers in the country. Cases such as a 2025 incident in Thiruvananthapuram, where a mother and stepfather were booked under UAPA for allegedly radicalising a minor, underscore continued grassroots influence.

Intelligence reports also highlight financial flows to Salafist madrasas from Gulf-based donors between 2023 and 2025, routed through informal networks. Kerala Police secret assessments note ideological spillovers from Afghanistan and Syria, and indirect influence from groups like Ansarullah Bangla Team, entering through migrant labour circuits.

Between 2024 and 2026, authorities observed repeated instances of hate speech, Salafist vandalism of syncretic shrines, and public glorification of Hamas leaders during rallies, indicating a shift from overt violence to long-term ideological consolidation.

Analysts say these developments reflect a broader pattern of Islamist adaptation in Kerala, mirroring networks seen elsewhere in South Asia, where banned organisations evolve into political and welfare fronts to retain influence while staying under the radar of law enforcement.

News india Kerala Islamist Networks Adapt After PFI Ban, Expand Political Footprint Ahead Of 2026 Polls | Exclusive

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