An organisation named ‘Muslim League Jammu Kashmir’ has been declared an ‘unlawful association’ under anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said today.

The organisation is led by Masarat Alam, interim chairman of the hardline faction of All India Hurriyat Conference, which was earlier led by separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

The ‘Muslim League Jammu Kashmir (Masarat Alam faction)’/MLJK-MA is declared as an ‘Unlawful Association’ under UAPA.

This organization and its members are involved in anti-national and secessionist activities in J&K supporting terrorist activities and inciting people to…

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) December 27, 2023

“This organization and its members are involved in anti-national and secessionist activities in J&K supporting terrorist activities and inciting people to establish Islamic rule in J&K,” Mr Shah said in a post on X.

He added that anyone acting against India’s unity, sovereignty and integrity will not be spared. “The PM @narendramodi government’s message is loud and clear that anyone acting against the unity, sovereignty, and integrity of our nation will not be spared and face the full wrath of the law,” the Home Minister said.

The Home Ministry notification said the organisation is known for its “anti-India and pro-Pakistan propaganda”. It added that its leaders have been involved in raising funds from various sources, “including Pakistan and its proxy organisations”, for perpetrating unlawful activities. It added that the organisation’s members have been indulging in secessionist activities and show sheer disrespect towards the country’s constitutional authority.

The notification said leaders of the organisation, particularly its chairman Masarat Alam, have been indulging in unlawful activities prejudicial to the country’s unity, integrity, security and communal harmony.

A woman in Jaipur lost her life after a man crushed her with a car following a heated argument. The incident, which was captured on CCTV, took place outside a hotel in the Jawahar Circle area in Jaipur in the early hours of Tuesday, police said.

Disturbing visuals show the accused, Mangesh Arora, running over Uma and her friend Rajkumar. The video shows a group of men standing in front of the car with one of them trying to stop the car. But Mangesh ran over his car on Uma and her friend.

While Uma died on the spot, Rajkumar was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Uma, a resident of Madhya Pradesh, used to work in Jaipur, along with her friend Rajkumar.

“The incident took place outside a hotel located on Girdhar Marg in the Jawahar Circle police station area in Jaipur at around 5:30 am and 6 am on Tuesday. An attempt was made to crush a young man and a girl outside the hotel with a car. In which the girl lost her life and a young man got injured,” SHO Dalbeer Singh told news agency ANI.

“The accused, Mangesh, was having drinks with her girlfriend there. After some time, they started passing comments on Uma. When Rajkumar objected to the comments, Mangesh said he already knew him,” Mr Singh said.

Meanwhile, Mangesh and his girlfriend also came there and started a row with them in front of the hotel. As the fight escalated, Mangesh left but soon returned in his car and drove over Rajkumar and Uma, he added.

The police are examining CCTV footage as part of the investigation to track down the accused, who is on the run. Police said a case has been filed against the accused under sections of murder and attempt to murder charges and a probe is underway.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh – in Jammu and Kashmir Wednesday to firefight protests over the death of three civilians after they were detained by the Army for questioning – also met others allegedly injured while in military custody. Eight civilians were detained after an ambush on two Army vehicles in J&K’s Poonch district, in which four soldiers were killed.

Earlier today Mr Singh met the families of those killed and called for caution when dealing with civilians. He said the Army could not “make any mistake” that hurts an Indian citizen.

“You are the country’s protectors. But I want to request you that besides ensuring the country’s security, you also have the responsibility to win the hearts of the people. There should be no mistake that hurts an Indian,” he said.

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“We have to win battles… eliminate terrorists… but a bigger objective is to win the hearts of the people. We will win wars but we need to win hearts too. And I know you try your best…”

The Army has ordered an investigation into the deaths of the three civilians, who have been identified as Mohammad Safeer, Shabir Ahmad, and Showkat Hussain. They were among more than a dozen villagers detained from the Bafliaz area on Friday.

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However, after a video showing troops beating and torturing civilians went viral, their families and some political parties alleged custodial torture. Around a dozen villagers were shifted to hospitals. The authenticity of the video, however, has not been established.

Responsibility for the Poonch terror attack was claimed by the People’s Anti-Fascist Front, which is linked to the Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist outfit and was first seen in 2019, after the government scrapped special status for Jammu and Kashmir.

The Defence Minister’s vist – his second in the last seven months – followed that of Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande, who was in the union territory on Monday to review the in-progress anti-terror op in Surankote and Rajouri district’s Thanamandi forest belt.

Last month two officers and three soldiers were killed in Rajouri, where, in May, 10 Army personnel were killed in a gunbattle with terrorists.

The Pir Panjal region – Rajouri and Poonch districts – had been free from terrorism since 2003 but major attacks have resume since October 2021. In the last seven months alone, 20 soldiers, including officers and special forces commandos, have been killed.