Dreaded terror group Islamic State and all its affiliate organisations, responsible for series of savage attacks and killings in Iraq and Syria, have been banned in India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Recruitment of youths to the outfit from India and their radicalisation is a matter of serious concern for the country especially with regard to its likely impact on national security when such youth return to India, the home ministry said while banning the terrorist group.
The Islamic State/Islamic State of Iraq and Levant/Islamic State of Iraq and Syria/Daish and all its manifestations have been declared as outlawed in India under UAPA, a notification issued by the ministry said.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said in Parliament on December 16, 2014 that the Middle-East group had already been declared banned in India under a United Nations Schedule.
According to the latest notification, the outfit is operating in Iraq and neighbouring countries and has been resorting to terrorist actions to consolidate its position in that area by recruiting youth for ‘Global Jehad’ to achieve the objective of establishing its own caliphate by overthrowing democratically elected governments.
The group is also resorting to terrorism in the form of killing of innocent civilians and security forces and the central government believes that the Islamic State is involved in radicalisation and recruitment of vulnerable youth from various countries including India.
Singh had said the group has been proscribed under the provisions related to organisations listed in the Schedule to the UN Prevention and Suppression of Terrorism (Implementation of Security Council Resolutions) Order, 2007 made under section two of the United Nations (Security Council) Act, 1947.
Four Mumbai youths had gone to Iraq-Syria in May 2014 to join IS. One of them returned late last year while the whereabouts of the remaining three are yet to be known.
A Bangalore-based executive of a multi-national company was arrested in December last year for allegedly running a pro-IS Twitter handle.
Last month, another person from Hyderabad was barred from travelling to Syria, ostensibly to join IS.
Recently, retired Intelligence Bureau chief Asif Ibrahim had said there was an imminent danger of Indian youths moving to the conflict zone (Iraq-Syria), emerging as a role model, and such developments may directly or indirectly pose a threat to the country.
“The threat potential is accentuated with some lower rung elements returning from conflict zone,” he had said.
