The Centre granted states and Union Territories the authority to designate the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) as a banned organization under the anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). This decision comes after the Central government extended the ban on SIMI for an additional five years on January 29, citing the group's involvement in terrorism, disturbance of peace, and the disruption of communal harmony.
In a notification issued on Monday, the Union Home Ministry empowered state governments and Union Territory administrations to exercise the same powers as the Central government under sections 7 and 8 of the UAPA concerning the unlawful association SIMI.
Ten state governments, including Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh, have recommended declaring SIMI as an "unlawful association" under the provisions of the UAPA.
The initial ban on SIMI was imposed in 2001 during the Atal Bihar Vajpayee government's tenure, and it has been consistently renewed since. The Home Ministry, in its notification, highlighted SIMI's ongoing subversive activities, the reorganization of its absconding activists, and its role in disrupting the secular fabric of the country. The ministry accused SIMI of polluting minds by propagating communal disharmony, endorsing anti-national sentiments, and supporting militancy, thereby posing a threat to the integrity and security of the nation.