NEW DELHI, India—On the recommendation of the National Investigation Agency, the Union government of India on December 26 officially imposed ban on the armed Sikh outfit Khalistan Liberation Force. The Indian government said in its notification that the ban is being imposed as the KLF is involved in “community-specific targeted killings in Punjab” and carrying out multiple terror attacks in the state between February 2016 and October 2017.
It is learnt that the Indian government has banned the KLF using the provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
While announcing the ban on December 26, the Ministry of Home Affairs claimed the KLF members in India were getting financial and logistical support from their handlers sitting abroad.
It is noteworthy here that the KLF is the 40th organization to be banned under the UAPA. Among the 39 groups banned earlier include four Sikh extremist groups, including the Babbar Khalsa International, Khalistan Commando Force, Khalistan Zindabad Force and International Sikh Youth Federation.
The KLF came into existence in 1986 with the objective of establishing an independent state of Khalistan through armed means.
Founded by Aroor Singh, the outfit had been active in promoting pro-freedom activities till 1994. It was subsequently revived by Bhai Harminder Singh Mintoo who had died of cardiac arrest in Central Jail of Patiala in April this year.
