New Delhi, Sep 19 The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal has upheld notifications issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs banning the Awami Action Committee (AAC) led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and the Jammu and Kashmir Ittihadul Muslimeen (JKIM) headed by Masroor Abbas Ansari for a period of five years.
The UAPA Tribunal of Justice Sachin Datta, a sitting judge of the Delhi High Court, in two distinct decisions, ruled that the material and evidence placed before it justified declaring the two outfits as unlawful associations under Section 3(1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
"This Tribunal, having followed the procedure laid down in the UAPA and its Rules and having independently and objectively appreciated and evaluated the material and evidence on record, is of the firm and considered view that there exists sufficient cause for declaring the organisation as an unlawful association," the orders concluded.
On March 11, 2024, the MHA issued separate notifications imposing the ban, citing that AAC members had been supporting terrorist activities, propagating anti-India narratives, mobilising funds for secessionist movements and inciting violence in Jammu and Kashmir.
It also listed several criminal cases registered against AAC leaders, including charges of sedition, unlawful assembly and instigation of violence.
According to the MHA, AAC leaders, including Mirwaiz Umar, have delivered speeches against the Indian government, promoted election boycotts and instigated protests in Srinagar.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has also filed a charge sheet against AAC spokesperson Aftab Ahmad Shah and others for alleged involvement in anti-national activities.
The MHA said that if not curbed, the AAC would continue to support militancy, disrupt public order and fuel separatist movements in Jammu and Kashmir.
The AAC, founded in 1963 by Mirwaiz Maulana Farooq during the agitation over the holy relics, is now led by his son Mirwaiz Umar.
In its separate order on the JKIM, the MHA said the organisation actively supported terrorist activities, engaged in anti-India propaganda and mobilised funds to promote separatist and secessionist agendas in Jammu and Kashmir.
It added that the JKIM’s activities, if unchecked, would continue to promote anti-national sentiments, dispute Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to India and disrupt public order.
Founded by Molvi Abbas Ansari, JKIM is currently headed by his son, Masroor Abbas Ansari.
The MHA had said that the bans were necessary to prevent both outfits from further engaging in activities detrimental to India’s national security.
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