Govt cracks down on terror propaganda, orders seizure

The crackdown has been ordered by the state home department under a notification issued on Thursday under section 98(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023

MUMBAI: In a major crackdown on extremist propaganda, the Maharashtra government has ordered the confiscation of 114 radical publications, magazines, books, manuals and digital material linked to terrorist organisations, including the Islamic State (ISIS/ISKP), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Pir Panjal Regiment and Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).

Govt cracks down on terror propaganda, orders seizure

The crackdown has been ordered by the state home department under a notification issued on Thursday under section 98(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023. It comes after intelligence inputs, cyber surveillance and investigations by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) found continued circulation, possession and dissemination of such material through books, documents and digital platforms.

The notification states that the banned literature promotes radicalisation, provides ideological indoctrination and facilitates recruitment to terrorist organisations. The action follows a recommendation made by the additional director general of police, Maharashtra ATS, in a letter dated March 17, urging the state government to confiscate propaganda material linked to terrorist organisations.

Home department sources said that although the parent organisations of these outfits do not operate from India, the publications were found in Maharashtra. The ban on the literature may help state agencies nab the people circulating the literature. “The organisations are involved in radicalising Muslim youth, as per the ATS report, which is based on intelligence inputs,” the officer said.

The notification specifically names the Islamic State (IS/ISIS/ISKP) and all its manifestations, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Pir Panjal Regiment, Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and other organisations listed in the First Schedule of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

A substantial portion of the banned literature comprises 45 editions of Voice of Khurasan published by Al-Azaim Media, the propaganda arm associated with ISIS-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K). The government has also banned associated ISIS-K publications such as Are You Still Sitting?, Why Should You Join the Islamic State, Nida-e-Khurasan in Urdu and Tawheed Lectures broadcast via Al-Bayan Radio, the official radio channel of the Islamic State.

The notification includes 17 editions of The Revolutionary Resurgence, a publication linked to the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Pir Panjal Regiment, covering editions published between October 2023 and December 2025. In addition, the government has banned 10 editions of Kashmir Kifah – Resilience & Courage, seven editions of The Soul of Resistance, and 13 editions of Nawai Gazwa-e-Hind.

Besides magazines, the notification targets instructional and training manuals allegedly meant to aid extremist activities. Among the banned publications are Explosives – Basics, Petrol Bomb – Manual, Modern Warfare, The School of Yusuf, How to Stay Anonymous, Security and Intelligence Course, How Can We Be Content With Abandoning Jihad, How to Make a Suicide Rocket (Zarqawi-1 Missile), Chemical Explosives Based on Hydrogen Peroxide, Harf-E-Aaghaaz and The Mujahideen Poisons Handbook.