The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has banned two political and religious organisations in Jammu and Kashmir—the Awami Action Committee (AAC) led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and the Jammu and Kashmir Ittihadul Muslimeen (JKIM) led by Masroor Abbas Ansari.
Mirwaiz is the chairman of the separatist moderate faction Hurriyat Conference, which has been struggling to find relevance after the abrogation of Article 370.
Several members of the group were arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) ahead of the Article 370 move by the BJP in 2019.
In two separate notifications, MHA cited the organisations’ involvement in activities that threaten the sovereignty, integrity, and security of India.
The ban, imposed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA), will remain in place for five years.
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According to the notifications, both groups were involved in activities that threaten India’s sovereignty, integrity and security.
The AAC members have been accused of supporting and spreading anti-India narratives and raising funds for separatist movements in Jammu and Kashmir.
The group has also been blamed for encouraging people to boycott elections and promoting public protests. Several criminal cases have been registered against the AAC and its leaders. These cases include sedition, unlawful assembly, and inciting violence.
Police stations in Srinagar, such as Nowhatta, Safakadal, and Kothi Bagh, have filed cases against Mirwaiz and other members of the AAC.
The NIA has filed a chargesheet against AAC spokesperson Aftab Ahmad Shah and others for their alleged involvement in anti-national activities.
Similar accusations have been made against JKIM. The group has been blamed for involvement in promoting public unrest, encouraging violence, and questioning Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to India.
The MHA has warned that if these groups were allowed to continue their activities, they would disrupt public order, support militancy, and encourage separatist movements in the region.
The ban is part of a larger crackdown on groups accused of separatism and militancy in Jammu and Kashmir.