MHA bans Awami Action Committee for five years under UAPA

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday declared the Jammu and Kashmir-based Awami Action Committee (AAC) an unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, imposing a five-year ban on the organization. The decision was based on accusations that the AAC has been engaging in activities threatening India’s sovereignty, integrity, and security. According to an official notification, the AAC, led by Umar Farooq, has been involved in supporting terrorist activities and spreading anti-India propaganda to fuel separatism in Jammu and Kashmir. The ministry said that the AAC has been mobilizing funds to support secessionist, separatist, and terrorist operations in the region.
The government further highlighted that the AAC is displaying blatant disregard for India’s constitutional authority by promoting unrest, encouraging armed insurgency, and spreading hatred against the government. The notification cited multiple cases registered against AAC leaders, including Umar Farooq and other members, for their involvement in anti-national speeches, incitement of violence, and incidents of stone-pelting.
It also referenced a 2018 charge sheet filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against AAC spokesperson Aftab Ahmad Shah and 11 others, of conspiring against the state. Additionally, several police cases dating back to 2008 were mentioned, which included allegations of inflammatory speeches, calls for election boycotts, and efforts to instigate public disorder.The government warned that if AAC’s activities were left unchecked, the group could continue to promote separatist propaganda, incite violence, and support militancy in the region. The notification underscored that such actions posed a serious threat to national security and public order. Exercising its powers under Section 3(1) of the UAPA, 1967, the MHA formally declared AAC an unlawful organization. The ban will remain in force for five years from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette unless overturned by legal intervention.