The Centre constituted the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal, comprising a Delhi High Court judge, to adjudicate whether or not there is sufficient cause for declaring the Jamaat-e-Islami, Jammu and Kashmir (JeI) as an ‘unlawful association’.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a notification in this regard on Wednesday.
“Jamaat-e-Islami, Jammu and Kashmir (JeI) has been declared as an unlawful association, vide notification dated February 27, 2024, published in the Gazette of India, Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 5 read with sub-section (1) of section 4 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967), the Central Government hereby constitutes the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal consisting of Justice Navin Chawla, Judge, High Court of Delhi, for the purpose of adjudicating whether or not there is sufficient cause for declaring the Jamaat-e-Islami, Jammu and Kashmir (JeI) as unlawful association,” the MHA stated in its notification.
Earlier, on February 27, the MHA extended the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami-J-K under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 for another five years.
Taking to his official; X handle, Union Home Minister Amit Shah posted, “Pursuing Prime Minister Narendra Modi 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.”
“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. Anyone threatening the security of the nation will face ruthless measures,” Shah added.
The Centre banned JeI-J-K, declaring it as an ‘unlawful association’ under the UA(P)A on February 28, 2019.
A notification to this effect, then, stated that the JeI was in close touch with militant outfits, was supporting extremism and militancy in Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere and was involved in anti-national and subversive activities in the country intended to cause disaffection.