Though the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was decimated three years ago in Sri Lanka, the Union government has thought it fit to extend its decades-old ban on the outfit, arguing that it poses a grave security threat to India. In a recent notification, the Ministry of Home Affairs said that the activities of the LTTE were detrimental to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India.
“LTTE continues to adopt a strong anti-India posture as also continues to pose a grave threat to the security of Indian nationals. It is necessary to declare LTTE as an unlawful association with immediate effect,” the notification said.
The LTTE was banned in India in 1991 immediately after former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination at an election rally in Sriperumbudur near Chennai.
Sources in the home ministry said the two-year ban, which was extended in 2010, expired in May this year.