The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) designated the 'Muslim League Jammu Kashmir (Masarat Alam faction)' (MLJK-MA) as an 'Unlawful Association' under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Home Minister Amit Shah announced the decision through a post on X, stating, "This organisation and its members are involved in anti-national and secessionist activities in J&K supporting terrorist activities and inciting people to establish Islamic rule in J&K. The PM @narendramodi government’s message is loud and clear that anyone acting against the unity, sovereignty, and integrity of our nation will not be spared and face the full wrath of the law".
Masarat Alam, associated with MLJK-MA, played a prominent role in the pro-Azadi protests in the Valley in 2010. Subsequently arrested and released in 2015, his release strained the PDP-BJP coalition.
The Union Home Ministry's decision to ban the association comes in response to its involvement in anti-national and secessionist activities in Jammu and Kashmir, intending to instigate terror in the country.
READ | Muslim League Jammu Kashmir (Masarat Alam faction) An 'Unlawful Association' Under UAPA: Amit Shah
Here's All You Need To Know About Masarat Alam Bhat:
Masarat Alam Bhat is known for his anti-India and pro-Pakistan stance. According to a report by Outlook, he assumed the chairmanship of the hardline faction of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference in September 2021 following the death of Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
Raised by his grandfather and uncles after losing his parents at a young age, Bhat attended the Tyndale Biscoe missionary school in Srinagar. He was first arrested in 1990 at the age of 19, identified as the local chief of the Pakistan-backed terror group Hezbollah, according to a report by India Today.
Bhat later shifted to separatism, becoming a protégé of Geelani. With 27 FIRs and 36 bookings under the Public Safety Act (PSA), he gained notoriety for his involvement in violent protests in Kashmir in 2010. He was accused of playing a key role in organising protests resulting in over 100 deaths.
In 2015, Bhat's release became a source of contention in the PDP-BJP alliance when he was rearrested after allegedly raising pro-Pakistan slogans. He defended himself in an interview with Hindustan Times, saying, "People were killed by armed forces; youth were showered with bullets. If they say I instigated people, let there be an international probe".
Known for using social media to spread his message and distributing anti-India CDs in mosques, Bhat has been a driving force behind protest calendars and the 'Quit Kashmir movement,' earning him the moniker 'new poster boy of the ISI in the Valley'.
The Union Home Ministry, in its notification, said that the objectives of MLJK-MA include attaining "freedom for Jammu and Kashmir from India", merging it with Pakistan, and establishing Islamic rule. The ban, effective for five years, aims to curb the association's activities that pose a threat to the country's security and sovereignty. Click here to read more.