New Delhi: The government on Thursday declared Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT), a global Islamist group founded in 1953 in Jerusalem, a banned organisation as it aims to establish an Islamic state and caliphate across the world through jihad and terrorist activities.

The notification issued by the Union Home Ministry said that HUT is involved in radicalizing innocent youth, motivating them to join terrorist organizations like IS and raising funds for terrorist activities. HUT is promoting terrorism using various internet media platforms and secure apps and encouraging innocent youth to join terrorist activities by organizing Dawah (invitation) meetings.

The ministry called it a serious threat to internal security

The Home Ministry said that HuT is an organization whose objective is to establish an Islamic state and caliphate by overthrowing democratically elected governments through jihad and terrorist activities by involving citizens of the country across the world including India. Therefore, this organization is a serious threat to the democratic system and internal security of the country.

Declaring the organisation banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the notification said that the central government believes that HuT has been involved in terrorism in India and has also participated in various terrorist activities. This ban will be effective on HuT, all its organisations and front organisations.

What did the Home Ministry say?

Through social media and apps, it encourages innocent youth to join terrorist activities.

Wants to establish Islamic state and caliphate all over the world including India.

Used to raise funds for terrorist activities.

The group is banned and declared a terrorist organization.

PM Narendra Modi's zero tolerance policy towards terrorism.

NIA arrested the main accused on Tuesday

On Tuesday itself, the NIA had arrested a key accused in the Tamil Nadu HuT case related to spreading discontent and separatism by promoting anti-India ideology. So far, the NIA has arrested a total of seven accused in this case. The NIA had alleged that the arrested accused was promoting separatism and was seeking military assistance from Pakistan to liberate Kashmir.

Headquartered in Lebanon

HUT is headquartered in Lebanon and is active in more than 30 countries, including Britain, the US, Canada and Australia. It has a history of praising and celebrating attacks against Israel and Jews. It has been banned in several other countries, including Germany, Egypt, Britain, as well as many West Asian and Arab countries.