SRINAGAR, Mar 11: Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday banned the Mirwaiz Umar Farooq-led Awami Action Committee (AAC) and Masroor Abbas Ansari-led Jammu and Kashmir Ittihadul Muslimeen (JKIM) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, for five years.
In two separate notifications, the Home Ministry cited the organizations’ involvement in activities that threatened the sovereignty, integrity, and security of India.
According to the notification, AAC members have been supporting militant activities, propagating anti-India narratives, and mobilising funds for secessionist movements in Jammu and Kashmir.
The government has also accused the group of inciting violence, promoting disaffection against the Indian state, and encouraging armed resistance.
The ministry listed multiple criminal cases against AAC and its leaders, including charges of sedition, unlawful assembly, and incitement of violence. Cases have been registered at various police stations in Srinagar, including Nowhatta, Safakadal, and Kothi Bagh, against Umar Farooq and other AAC members for delivering speeches against the Indian government, promoting election boycotts, and instigating protests.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has also filed a chargesheet against AAC spokesperson Aftab Ahmad Shah and others for their alleged involvement in anti-national activities. The government believes that if not curbed, AAC will continue to support militancy, disrupt public order, and fuel separatist movements in Jammu and Kashmir.
Invoking Section 3 of the UAPA, the government has imposed a five-year ban on AAC, effective immediately. The notification stated that the ban is necessary to prevent the group from further engaging in activities detrimental to India’s national security.
This move follows a broader crackdown on organizations accused of fostering separatism and militancy in Jammu and Kashmir.
Similarly, the government said that members of JKIM have been actively supporting terrorist activities, engaging in anti-India propaganda, and mobilising funds to promote separatist and secessionist agendas in Jammu and Kashmir. It also accused the group of inciting public unrest, advocating violence, and working against the constitutional framework of the country.
The MHA said that if JKIM’s activities are not curbed, it will continue promoting anti-national sentiments, disputing Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to India, and disrupting public order. Citing these concerns, the government has banned the organisation for five years, effective immediately, under Section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.