NIA had moved a proposal to ban KLF after it found that the organisation had allegedly been involved in the killing of RSS leaders in Punjab.
New Delhi: The Modi government Thursday banned the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, deeming it a terror outfit.
The decision comes two months after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) moved a proposal to ban the outfit on the grounds that it had been allegedly involved in the killing of RSS leaders in Punjab.
The government’s Thursday notification placed KLF as entry number 40 on the list of banned outfits.
“The Khalistan Liberation Force came into existence in the year 1986 with the objective of establishing an independent state of Khalistan by the secession of the state of Punjab from the Republic of India through violent means,” the notification said. “KLF has committed acts of terrorism and has been engaged in radicalisation and recruitment of youths for terrorist activities in India.”
It further said that security agencies busted a KLF module in 2017, which allegedly carried out “eight incidents of killings or attempted killings” targeting specific communities and organisations in India.
This, the notification added, was an attempt by the organisation to destabilise law and order and revive terrorism in Punjab.
“Their targets are Right-wing leaders and they work to disrupt law and order in Punjab using violent means,” an officer said. “The ban was necessary to disrupt the funding of the outfit.”
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The NIA proposal
The NIA had in October claimed that the KLF was attacking RSS leaders and was trying to revive militancy Punjab with the help of Pakistan’s ISI. The government had then moved to ban the outfit.
The outfit was also involved in eight attacks between February 2016 and October 2017, the NIA proposal stated.
It further stated that the KLF was revived by Harminder Singh Mintoo, who is now dead, in 2010 and that it is currently being run by the UK-based Gursharanbir Singh along with the Pakistan-based Harmeet Singh.
The agency had also stated that the KLF was receiving funding from abroad, including from countries such as the UK, the UAE, Pakistan and Australia.
The NIA has also filed chargesheets against the KLF, naming some NRIs for conspiring and carrying out attacks in India.
For instance, it named Italy-based Hardeep Singh and Ludhiana-based Ramandeep Singh in the killing of RSS activist Ravinder Gosain in October 2017.
Is it the Central Govt or the Modi Govt? The notification clearly reads “Central Govt”and not Modi Govt.