India designates 9 individuals linked to Khalistani groups as terrorists

Union Home Ministry has declared nine individuals linked to separatist Khalistani organisations, including four based in Pakistan, as designated terrorists under provisions of the UAPA Act.

Daily Current Affairs Quiz 2020

Key-Points

The Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) was enacted in 1967.

The 2004 amendment was to ban organisations for terrorist activities, under which 34 outfits, including the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammad, were banned.

The 2019 amendment gave the Home Ministry the power to designate individuals as terrorists.

Earlier, in September 2019, the four individuals to be first designated as terrorists were JeM chief Masood Azhar, LeT’s Hafiz Saeed, his deputy Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, and underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, who planned and executed the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts.

According to a Home Ministry statement, the individuals include Wadhawa Singh Babbar, chief of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI); Lakhbir Singh, who heads International Sikh Youth Federation; Ranjeet Singh, chief of Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZB) and Paramjit Singh, who leads Khalistan Commando Force.

The others are: Germany-based key members of terrorist organisation KZB Bhupinder Singh Bhinda and Gurmeet Singh Bagga; Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, US-based key member of unlawful association Sikh for Justice, Hardeep Singh Nijjar: Canada based Chief of Khalistan Tiger Force and the UK-based Paramjit Singh of BKI.