Govt bans Hizb-ut-Tahrir, says pan-Islamic group aims to establish caliphate

PTI, NEW DELHI, OCT 10, 2024: The government on Thursday banned Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT), a global pan-Islamic group set up in Jerusalem in 1953, saying the organisation aims to establish an Islamic state and caliphate globally, including in India, through jihad and terrorist activities.

In a notification, the Union Home Ministry said the HuT is involved in radicalisation and motivation of gullible youth to join terrorist organisations, such as ISIS, and raising funds for terror activities.

Later, the office of Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in a post on X, "Pursuing PM Shri @narendramodiJi's policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism, the MHA today declared 'Hizb-Ut-Tahrir' as a 'Terrorist Organisation'."

"The outfit is involved in various acts of terror, including radicalising the gullible youths to join terrorist organisations and raise funds for terror activities, posing a serious threat to the national security and sovereignty of India. The Modi government is committed to securing Bharat by dealing with the forces of terror with an iron fist," the home minister's office said.

The HuT is promoting terrorism by using various social media platforms and secure apps, and by conducting 'Dawah' meetings to encourage gullible youth to indulge in acts of terrorism, the notification said.

The home ministry said the HuT is an organisation that aims to establish an Islamic state and caliphate globally, including in India, by overthrowing democratically elected governments through jihad and terrorist activities by involving citizens of the country, which is a grave threat to the democratic setup and internal security of the country. "And whereas, the central government believes that Hizb-ut-Tahrir is involved in terrorism and has participated in various acts of terrorism in India," the notification said while declaring the group as a banned organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

The ban will be effective on HuT and all its manifestations and front organisations. On Tuesday, the National Investigation Agency arrested a key accused in the Tamil Nadu Hizb-ut-Tahrir case related to spreading disaffection and secessionism by promoting the ideology of the anti-India outfit.

A total of seven accused were arrested by the NIA so far in the case.

The NIA had alleged the arrested accused were actively engaged in propagating secessionism and seeking military assistance from Pakistan to liberate Kashmir. "The ulterior motive of the conspiracy was to establish Khilafat by overthrowing the government of India by waging violent Jihad," the NIA alleged.

Founded in 1953, HuT is an international pan-Islamic group with a long-term goal of establishing a caliphate rule under Islamic law. The group's headquarters is in Lebanon and it operates in at least over 30 countries including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Australia. The HuT has a history of praising and celebrating attacks against Israel and Jews more widely.

Several countries have banned HuT for their subversive activities. Those countries which have already banned the group include Germany, Egypt, the UK, and several Central Asian and Arab countries.