Centre bans Jamaat-e-Islami in J&K

Days after cracking down against their leaders, the Centre has formally banned the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) for five years for allegedly supporting "terrorist groups and being involved in the anti-national and subversive activities in the country".

This is the second time that Jamaat has been banned in the last 29 years of turmoil. Jamaat was banned in 1990 but its ban was revoked and leaders released a few years later. The ban was prompted by the claims made by the then Hizbul Mujahedeen chief commander Mohammad Ahsan Dar that his outfit was the military wing of JeI.

"JeI is in close touch with militant outfits and is supporting extremism and militancy in J&K and elsewhere. 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. JeI is involved in anti-national and subversive activities in the country intended to cause disaffection", reads the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) notification.

MHA said the Central government is also of the opinion that having regard to the activities of the JeI, it is necessary to declare it to be an unlawful association with immediate effect.

"Now therefore in exercise of the powers conferred by subsection (1) and (3) of Section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967, the central government hereby declares the JeI Jammu and Kashmir as an unlawful association and directs that this notification shall subject to any order that may be made under section 4 of the said Act have effect for a period of five years from the date of this publication in the official gazette", read the MHA notification.

The notification comes days after police launched massive crackdown and arrested hundreds of JeI cadres including its chairman Abdul Hameed Fayaz and spokesman Zahid Ali.

After the formation of Hurriyat Conference, JeI was one the constituent member of the conglomerate. Later when the Hurriyat split, it became the part of Geelani led faction. However, Geelani, who was originally from JeI floated his own outfit Tehreek-e-Hurriyat and became the head of hard-line faction of Hurriyat Conference.