The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced on Tuesday that the ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has been extended for another five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) 1967. This decision was made due to the group’s ongoing efforts to foster separatist tendencies, particularly in Tamil Nadu, and its continued threat to India’s territorial integrity. The MHA highlighted that the LTTE, despite its military defeat in Sri Lanka in 2009, remains committed to its cause of an independent Tamil homeland (Eelam) and has been involved in fundraising and propaganda activities both locally and internationally.
The notification by the MHA pointed out that the LTTE, though based in Sri Lanka, has supporters and agents in India. It emphasized that the group has not abandoned its separatist ambitions and that pro-LTTE elements continue to promote separatism, posing a significant threat to India’s sovereignty. The ministry also noted that LTTE sympathizers abroad are spreading anti-India propaganda, blaming India for the group’s defeat, which could incite animosity among Tamils towards the central government and the Indian Constitution.
Despite the existing ban, the MHA reported that pro-LTTE activities have persisted, with cases being registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under UAPA provisions against LTTE supporters. These activities include smuggling of illegal drugs and arms, underscoring the group’s ongoing disruptive and criminal operations. The ministry stressed the need to maintain the ban, labeling the LTTE as an unlawful association due to its continued secessionist activities and the threat it poses to national security. The LTTE, known for its violent history and responsible for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, has been under a renewed ban every five years since then.
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