New Delhi: The Centre has extended the ban on Assam-based Bodo insurgent group NDFB by another five years, saying the outlawed outfit has continued to indulge in violent activities, including killing and extortion, and undermine the country's territorial integrity in collusion with anti-India forces.
The National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) has been indulging in illegal and violent activities, intending to undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India in furtherance of its objective of achieving a separate Bodoland, said Union Home Ministry in a notification, extending the ban on the north east militant group.
The ministry extended the ban on NDBF under the provisions of sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
The ministry said by its unlawful and violent activities, the NDFB has been "undermining the authority of the government, spreading terror and panic among people, causing carnage and ethnic violence, resulting in killings and destruction of properties of non-Bodos, inhabiting the Bodo-dominated areas in Assam".
"For the aforesaid reasons", the notification said "the central government is of the opinion that the NDFB's activities are detrimental to the sovereignty and integrity of India and that it is an unlawful association".
The central government, the notification added, is also "of the opinion that unless NDFB's unlawful activities are kept under control, the organisation may re-group and re-arm itself, make fresh recruitment, indulge in violent, terrorist and secessionist activities, collect funds and endanger the lives of innocent citizens and security forces personnel".
"Therefore, circumstances do exist which render it necessary to declare the NDFB as an unlawful association with immediate effect," it said.
Accordingly "in exercise of powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (Act 37 of 1967), the central government hereby declares the NDFB, along with all its groups, factions and front organisations, as an unlawful association", the notification said.
The ban on NDFB comes with immediate effect and will last for five years, a home ministry official said.
The home ministry also noted that the insurgent group has aligned itself with other underground outfits of the north eastern region to achieve its objectives of creating a separate Bodoland.
The ministry said the group has been indulging in extortion of money from various sections of the society to finance and execute its plans to create a separate Bodoland and has launched a systematic drive to recruit fresh cadres to continue its terrorist and insurgent activities.
It said the NDFB has also established camps and hideouts across the country's border to carry out its secessionist activities and obtain assistance from anti-India forces in other countries to procure arms, besides securing other helps to have a separate Bodoland.
The MHA notification said the NDFB has been involved in 62 violent incidents since January 2015, resulting in killings of 19 civilians and 55 extremists, besides the arrest of 450 ultras and confiscation of 444 arms from them.
The NDFB was first declared an outlawed organisation in 1990s and the ban has been extended every five years since then.
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