Centre extends ban on ULFA by 5 years

The Centre on Monday extended the ban on the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) for five years for continuing to work with the objective to secede Assam from India and maintaining links with other insurgent groups for extortion and violence. The ULFA was first declared a banned organisation in 1990 and since then the ban has been extended periodically.

In a notification, the Home Ministry said ULFA, along with all its factions, wings and front organisations, had been involved in such activities which were prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India. It said the ULFA had declared its objective to secede Assam from India, continued intimidation and extortion of funds for their organisation, and maintained links with insurgent groups for extortion and violence.

The outfit has possessed illegal arms and ammunition, indulged in 16 criminal cases, including several cases of explosions or planting of explosives in Assam during the period from November 27, 2019 to July 1, 2024 and planted several improvised explosive devices or explosives in the run-up to Independence Day, 2024 across Assam, the notification said.