MHA declares Hizb-ut-Tahrir a “terrorist organization”, says outfit involved in radicalisation

Srinagar, Oct 10: The Ministry of Home Affairs on Thursday declared Hizb-Ut-Tahrir a 'banned outfit', saying it aims to establish Islamic state and caliphate globally including in India by overthrowing democratic government through jihad.

The Home Ministry also called the HuT a "grave threat" to democratic setup and internal security of India.

The Home Ministry of India (HMO) in a post on X said: “Pursuing PM Shri @narendramodi Ji'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 the forces of terror with an iron fist,” the post on X said.

Hizb-ut-Tahrir was founded in 1953 as a political organization in then-Jordanian-controlled Jerusalem by Taqi al-Din al-Nabhani, a Palestinian Islamic scholar from Haifa who was educated in Egypt and served as a qazi (religious court judge) in Palestine. He formulated a program and a “draft constitution” for the establishment of a Caliphate.

The MHA in a notification said: “Whereas, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967) (hereinafter referred to as the said Act) has been enacted to provide for more effective prevention of certain unlawful activities of individuals and associations and for dealing with terrorist activities and for matters connected therewith”.

“And whereas, as per clause (m) of sub-section (1) of section 2 of the said Act, 'terrorist organisation' means an organisation listed in the First Schedule to the said Act or an organisation operating under the same name as an organisation so listed”.

And whereas, the First Schedule to the said Act contains the list of such terrorist organizations.

And whereas, 'Hizb-Ut-Tahrir (HuT)' is an organisation which aims to establish 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 'Hizb-Ut-Tahrir (HuT)' is involved in radicalisation and motivation of gullible youth to join terrorist organisations, such as ISIS (which is listed as a terrorist organisation under the First Schedule to the said Act at serial number 38) and raising funds for terror activities.

And whereas, the ‘Hizb-Ut-Tahrir (HuT)' is promoting terrorism by using various social media platforms, secure apps and by conducting Dawah meetings to encourage gullible youth to indulge in acts of terrorism.

And whereas, the Central Government believes that ‘Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT)’ is involved in terrorism and has participated in various acts of terrorism in India.

Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 35 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967), the Central Government hereby makes the following further amendments in the First Schedule to the said Act, namely:- In the First Schedule to the said Act, after serial number 44 and entries relating thereto, the following serial number and entries shall be inserted, namely:- "45. 'Hizb-Ut-Tahrir (HuT)' and all its manifestations and front organisations", the notification reads.