The central government on Tuesday declared two Jammu and Kashmir-based organisations — the Awami Action Committee (AAC) and the Jammu and Kashmir Ittihadul Muslimeen (JKIM) — as banned groups under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, for a period of five years. The AAC, headed by Umar Farooq, and the JKIM, led by Masroor Abbas Ansari, were accused of engaging in activities deemed unlawful and detrimental to national security.
In its notification, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said members of both organisations have been involved in supporting terrorist activities and propagating anti-India narratives to fuel secessionism in Jammu and Kashmir. The ministry said the AAC has also been indulging in actions "prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty and security of the country".
A separate notification issued for JKIM cited similar charges, stating that the group was engaged in activities threatening national unity and had links to terrorist support and anti-India propaganda. Citing these reasons, the MHA formally declared both outfits unlawful associations under the UAPA.