The Modi government extended the ban on Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) for five years under UAPA on Monday. The Home Ministry, while announcing the extension of the ban, said the SIMI has been found involved in fomenting terrorism, disturbing peace and communal harmony to threaten the sovereignty, security and integrity of the country.
“Bolstering PM @narendramodi Ji’s vision of zero tolerance against terrorism ‘Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI)’ has been declared as an ‘Unlawful Association’ for a further period of five years under the UAPA. The SIMI has been found involved in fomenting terrorism, disturbing peace and communal harmony to threaten the sovereignty, security and integrity of Bharat,” a post by the Home Ministry read.
Earlier, SIMI, which was allegedly involved in a series of terror acts in the country, was banned by the government in 2001. The ban got its first extension in 2014, for a period of five years. Later, in 2019, the government again extended it for the another five years.
According to a Home Ministry notification, if the unlawful activities of SIMI are not curbed and controlled immediately, it will continue its subversive activities, re-organise its activists, who are still absconding and disrupt the secular fabric of the country by propagating anti-national sentiments and escalating secessionism.
“Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-sections (1) and (3) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the central government hereby declares the SIMI as an ‘unlawful association’ and directs that this notification shall, subject to any order that may be made under section 4 of the said Act, have effect for a period of five years,” the notification issued in 2019 read.
The ministry said the organisation has been polluting the minds of the people by creating communal disharmony, undertaking activities which are prejudicial to the integrity and security of the country. The Central government was also of the opinion that having regard to the activities of the SIMI, it was necessary to declare the SIMI to be an unlawful association with immediate effect, it said.
The police from Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Kerala have provided details of conviction against top SIMI leaders Safdar Nagori, Abu Faisal, among others.
The SIMI was established on April 25, 1977, in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh, and the organisation allegedly works on the agenda of liberating India by converting it into an Islamic state. It was first declared an outlawed outfit in 2001. Since then, it has been banned on several occasions.
