Tribunal lifts ban on SIMI
8/5/2008 10:29:28 PM
Courtesy: Times Now
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| Simi Chief Safdar Nagori |
A specially-designated tribunal on Tuesday (Aug ) lifted the ban imposed by the Centre on the activities of Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).
Justice Geeta Mittal of the Delhi High Court, who headed the tribunal, held that there was no new evidence submitted by the government against the SIMI to justify the extension of the ban, a top law officer said.
The government only came out with the evidence of Malegaon blast in Maharashtra in 2006 to show the complicity of the organisation in unlawful activities which was not sufficient to come out with the notification to ban it.
The ban was first imposed on the SIMI in 2001 under Unlawful Activities (prevention) Act and since then it has been extended after every two years.
The last notification on the ban, which was challenged in the tribunal, was issued by the Home Ministry on February 7 this year and was supposed to be in force till 2010.
The tribunal during the hearing had asked the government to bring new facts to justify its decision.
The SIMI had challenged the notification issued by the government contending that there was no fresh evidence against it and the ban cannot be continued on the basis of previous evidence.
During the proceedings the tribunal had expressed its dissatisfaction with the notification saying that there were no fresh facts given by the government for extending the ban on the SIMI.
The tribunal had directed the Home Ministry and Intelligence Bureau to place before it all evidence against the organisation.
Initially, the tribunal had conducted the proceedings in an open court but later it decided to hear the matter in-camera in the presence of Home Secretary and senior IB officials who placed all the documents collected by the government against SIMI.
Home Ministry to challenge tribunal order lifting ban on SIMI
The Union Home Ministry tonight said it will challenge the order of a tribunal which lifted the ban on Students Islamic Movement of India. "The ministry will examine the order of the specially-designated tribuanl in detail and take remedial action on a priority basis," a Ministry spokesman said.
He said a preliminary perusal of the tribunal's order indicates that it has not confirmed the ban on SIMI on technical grounds.
BJP reacts sharply to revocation of ban on SIMI, blames Centre
Blaming the "incompetence" of the Central government for the revocation of the ban on SIMI, the
BJP today said it reflects the "real face" of UPA.
"UPA has been incompetent in defending the ban on SIMI. This reflects the real face of the government and its soft attitude towards terrorism," party vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.
The BJP would oppose this decision with all its might as it pertains to the issue of national security and safety of citizens, he said. "SIMI is terrorism and terrorism is SIMI. The co-relation is known to all. The government is shying away from the fact and endangering the civil society by its soft approach to terror," he added.
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