Guwahati: The Central government has extended the ban on the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) for a term of five years with immediate effect from November 27, 2024.
A notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs said this on Monday and added that the ban was extended because it had declared its objective to secede the State of Assam from India, continued intimidation and extortion of funds for their organisation and maintained links with other insurgent groups for extortion and violence.
The MHA notification further stated that the Central Government believes that ULFA has also possessed illegal arms and ammunition and was involved in 16 criminal cases, including several cases of explosions or planting of explosives in Assam, from November 27, 2019, to July 1, 2024.
It may be recalled that the organisation has claimed to have planted several improvised explosive devices or explosives in the run-up to Independence Day, this year across Assam.
The Central Government, considering the unlawful activities outlined above and those previously committed by the United Liberation Front of Asom, has deemed it necessary to immediately declare the United Liberation Front of Asom, along with all its factions, wings, and front organizations, as an unlawful association, according to the notification.
The notification further noted that between November 27, 2019, and July 1, 2024, the ULFA was implicated in the killing of three hardcore cadres during police or security force operations, the registration of 15 cases against its members, with three charge sheets filed and three cadres prosecuted, as well as involvement in 27 other criminal activities.
The Government of Assam has also recommended for declaration of ULFA as an unlawful association under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967).
"The Central Government believes that the aforesaid activities of ULFA are detrimental to the sovereignty and integrity of India and if these are not immediately curbed and controlled, the ULFA may regroup and rearm itself, expand its cadres, procure sophisticated weapons, cause loss of lives of civilians and security forces and thereby accelerate its anti-national activities," the notification said.
