Centre extends ban on J-K Jamaat-e-Islami for 5 years

New Delhi: The government on Tuesday extended the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami, Jammu Kashmir (JeI), for five more years for continuing activities against the security, integrity and sovereignty of the nation, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said.

He also said anyone threatening the security of the nation will face ruthless measures.

"Pursuing PM @narendramodi Ji's policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and separatism the government has extended the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami, Jammu Kashmir for five years," he wrote on X.

The home minister said the organisation is found continuing its activities against the security, integrity and sovereignty of the nation.

The outfit was first declared an 'Unlawful Association' on February 28, 2019.

In a notification, the Union home ministry said the Jamaat-e-Islami, Jammu and Kashmir has been indulging in activities which are prejudicial to internal security and public order and have the potential to disrupt the unity and integrity of the country.

The home ministry has listed 47 cases registered against the JeI and that includes an NIA case for collection of funds used to encourage violent and secessionist activities.

The funds were also used by the active cadres and members of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba and other terrorist organisations through a well-established network of their cadres to organise violent protests, create public unrest and communal disharmony, thus creating a sense of fear and insecurity in Jammu and Kashmir and all over the country.

Another NIA case was registered against the members and cadres of JeI, including Ameer Mohammed Shamsi, chief executive of Al-Huda Educational Trust (AHET), for receiving the funds through AHET, Rajouri, in the name of JeI even after its ban in February, 2019.

The funds were used by the members in anti-national activities in the region of Jammu and Kashmir.

The AHET was formed by the top leadership of the JeI and seven top leaders including accused Ameer Mohammed Shamsi who were the trustees of AHET.

The home ministry said JeI is in close touch with militant outfits and is continuously supporting extremism and militancy in Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere.

The JeI is supporting claims for secession of a part of the Indian territory from the Union and supporting terrorist and separatist groups fighting for this purpose by indulging in activities and articulations intended to disrupt the territorial integrity of India. It is involved in anti-national and subversive activities in the country intended to cause disaffection, it said.

The home ministry said it is of the opinion that if the unlawful activities of the JeI are not curbed and controlled immediately, it will take the opportunity to escalate subversive activities, including attempt to carve out an Islamic State out of the territory of India and escalate secessionist movements, support militancy and incite violence in the country.

The central government is firmly of the opinion that having regard to the activities of the JeI, it is necessary to declare it as an "unlawful association' with immediate effect, the home ministry said.

Therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967), the central government hereby declares the Jamaat-e-Islami, Jammu and Kashmir, as an unlawful association for a period of five years, the notification said.