An Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) tribunal has issued show cause notice to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or LTTE as part of a process to adjudicate the recently extended five-year ban on the Sri Lankan organisation.
The tribunal at the Delhi high court, comprising justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, has given LTTE 30 days to reply to the notice as to “why the organisation should not be declared as unlawful”, according to the show cause notice issued on June 14, published by the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA).
LTTE can file its objections or reply to the show cause notice within 30 days.
While extending the ban on LTTE on May 14, the MHA said in its notification that even after its military defeat in 2009, the organisation is “clandestinely” undertaking fund raising and propaganda activities and its remnant leaders are trying to resurrect it.
“The Central government is of the opinion that LTTE is still indulging in the activities which are prejudicial to the integrity and security of the country. Even after its military defeat in May 2009 in Sri Lanka, LTTE has not abandoned the concept of ‘Eelam’ and has been clandestinely working towards the ‘Eelam’ cause by undertaking fund raising and propaganda activities and the remnant LTTE leaders or cadres have also initiated efforts to regroup the scattered activists and resurrect the outfit locally and internationally,” the MHA notification said.
“The pro-LTTE groups/elements continue to foster a separatist tendency amongst the masses and enhance the support base for LTTE in India and particularly in Tamil Nadu, which will ultimately have a strong disintegrating influence over the territorial integrity of India,” it added.
The ministry asserted that LTTE symapthisers living abroad continue to spread anti-India propaganda among Tamils holding India government responsible for the defeat of the LTTE, which, if not checked, is likely to develop a sense of hate among Tamil populace towards the Centre and the Indian Constitution.
The LTTE was formed in 1976 and emerged as one of the most lethal terrorist groups over the years.
India banned the LTTE after the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. Since then, the ban imposed on the group has been extended every five years.
To adjudicate the extended ban, the tribunal was formed on June 5.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has, in last few years, registered cases against LTTE, pro-LTTE groups or elements that indicate that outfit and its remnant cadres, followers and supporters are involved in various criminal activities, including smuggling of illegal drugs, arms for furtherance of objective of the outfit.
The terror organisation suffered a military defeat in 2009 in Sri Lanka following the killing of its chief Velupillai Prabhakaran.
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