Centre awaits AAP report to continue ban on Simi

The Union home ministry is awaiting status report from the Aam Aadmi Party ( AAP) government on the activities of the Students’ Islamic Movement of India ( Simi)) to decide whether the fiveyearban on it should be further extended.

The government had declared Simi as an unlawful association and placed it under a ban under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities ( Prevention) Act, 1967 till January 31, 2019. In compliance of the Unlawful Activities ( Prevention) Act, the Centre constituted a tribunal for adjudicating whether there was sufficient cause for declaring Simi an unlawful association under the provisions of the same Act.

The tribunal through its July 30, 2014 order had confirmed the ban. And subsequently, under the same Act, the ban became effective for a period of five years till January 31, 2019. In a communication to Delhi chief secretary Anshu Prakash, the MHA said since the ban was coming to an end in 2019, it was for the state to find out if Simi continued to indulge in unlawful activity so that a fresh ban could be imposed on it.

The letter said: “If its ( Simi) membership continues, then ipso facto a case of unlawful activity under the Act is made out. If this organisation and/ or its members commit offences in furtherance of their aims and objectives, then the charge sheet would have to contain reference to such violations of the Act.”