Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai stated that India has designated two organisations as “terrorist organisations” that have been outlawed over the past three years.
Kartikey Sharma, a member of the Rajya Sabha, requested information on any banned organisations that have been associated with terrorism of any kind in the nation over the previous three years. In response, MoS Rai stated that as of 2019, Tahreek-ul-Mujahideen (TuM) and all of its manifestations, Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, Jamat-ul-Mujahideen India, and Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Hindustan and all of its manifestations, have all been designated as “Terrorist Organizations” under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
The Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), Jammu and Kashmir, the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (Y), Sikhs for Justice, and the Popular Front of India are among the additional seven organisations based in the hinterland and in Jammu-Kashmir that have been designated as Unlawful Associations for their involvement in various illegal activities.
When asked if any state is becoming a hub for terrorist activity, he responded that India’s terrorism is mostly funded from outside the country. International terrorist organisations and some foreign organisations hostile to India have been attempting to radicalise individuals through the use of religion and entice individuals towards terrorism through the use of social media platforms.
The minister declared that the government’s approach to combating terrorism is one of zero-tolerance. At the federal and state levels, there are strong cooperation channels between intelligence and security agencies. According to him, the Multi Agency Center (MAC) has been strengthened and reorganised to enable it to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for the purpose of collecting and sharing intelligence in real time among intelligence agencies and states.
The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and National Security Guards (NSG) have also been stationed at various locations across the nation to support the States in responding to such incidents, he added. States have also established special forces to deal with terror activities.
Rai stated that all such elements, including those in vulnerable areas and organisations engaged in the radicalization of a specific segment of society, are continuously monitored by the agencies whose actions have an impact on the nation’s internal security and law and order situation.
In response to a question about steps being taken to stop the funding of terrorist activities in the nation, Rai stated that the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, has been strengthened, among other things, by making the production, smuggling, or circulation of fake Indian currency notes a terrorist act and expanding the definition of “proceeds of terrorism” to include any property intended to be used for terrorism.
Recently, India organised the 3rd ‘No Money for Terror” Ministerial Conference in New Delhi in order to bring the international community on a common platform and build consensus for countering terrorism financing.