Special tribunal extends ban on LTTE by two years

A special tribunal headed by a Delhi High Court judge on Monday upheld the Centre's notification for extending the ban on LTTE for another two years. The notification extending the ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, declaring it as an unlawful association, was issued by the Union Home Ministry on 15th May. Justice Vikramjeet Sen, who was heading the special tribunal constituted under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, upheld the government decision saying that there is sufficient evidence against the organisation to justify the extension of ban. The LTTE, also known as Tamil Tigers, is a militant group that has waged a violent campaign against the Sri Lankan government since the 1970s in order to create a separate Tamil state in the northern and eastern part of the island nation. The group-led by V Prabhakaran has been proscribed as a terrorist organisation by several countries including the United States. The LTTE was involved in the assassination of former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991 and the group has been banned by India since 1992. Additional Solicitor General P P Malhotra, while appearing before the tribunal, had contended that although the LTTE was based in Sri Lanka, it had sympathizers and agents on the Indian soil and there was urgent need to continue with the ban. Malhotra had said LTTE's functioning if allowed in India would be highly detrimental to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India. While justifying the ban, the government had said in its notification that LTTE continues to be "extremely potent, most lethal and well organised" terrorist force in Sri Lanka and has "strong connections in Tamil Nadu and certain other pockets of southern India." It also said the LTTE continues to use Tamil Nadu as the base for carrying out smuggling of essential items like petrol and diesel, besides drugs to Sri Lanka. It said LTTE's objective for a separate homeland for all Tamils threatened the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India and amounted to cession and secession of a part of India and "thus falls within the ambit of an unlawful activity".

"Loved reading this piece by Prakash Yedhula?
Join LAWyersClubIndia's network for daily News Updates, Judgment Summaries, Articles, Forum Threads, Online Law Courses, and MUCH MORE!!"

Join our Telegram group

Join our Whatsapp group