The Centre on Tuesday banned Kamatapur liberation Organisation (KlO), a militant outfit which operates in West Bengal and Assam. In a gazette notification, the Home Ministry said that exercising the powers conferred under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the Central Government proposes to add Kamatapur liberation Organisation and all its formation and front organisations as a terrorist organisation.
KlO, which came into existence in 1993, has been consolidating its position in the 14 districts in Assam and six districts in West Bengal both organisationally as also in terms of weapons and cadre to achieve the objective of a separate “sovereign Kamatapur State”. The outfit is also resorting to terrorism in the form of killing of innocent civilians and security forces and engaging in other violent activities including looting, kidnapping, landmine and bomb blasts, the notification said. The Centre “believes that the KlO is involved in terrorism”.