Centre submits affidavit against SIMI in SC: ‘Can’t allow outfits that seek Islamic rule’

• ‘SIMI constitution speaks of objectives like “establishment of Islamic system in India’
• ‘The organization does not believe in nation-state or in the Indian Constitution’
• There are over three dozen other front organizations through which SIMI is being continued

The Union Government has filed a counter-affidavit in the Supreme Court justifying the ban imposed on Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and said that any organistion that has the objective of establishing Islamic rule in India cannot be permitted to exist.

According to the government, SIMI constitution speaks of objectives like “establishment of Islamic system in my country”, so such a Constitution “must be seen as in direct conflict with the democratic sovereign setup of India and should not be allowed to be perpetuated in our secular society”, said Centre in the apex court. It added that the SIMI calls for “Jehaad” (religious war) for the cause of Islam and “destruction of nationalism and establishment of Islamic Rule or Caliphate.”

“The organization does not believe in nation-state or in the Indian Constitution including its secular nature. It further regards idol worship as a sin, and propagates its ‘duty’ to end such practices”, the affidavit stated.

The Centre also highlighted that SIMI was used by various fundamentalist Islamic terrorist organizations operating inter alia from the state of Jammu & Kashmir. Also, terrorist organisations such as Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba have successfully managed to penetrate into the SIMI cadres to achieve their anti-national goal, according to LiveLaw.

The Union government claimed that SIMI continues to exist despite continuous proscription since 2001 and argued that the last five-year ban in 2019 was necessitated in view of the group carrying on its unlawful activities through more than three dozen front organisations, which had regrouped across several states under different names, according the Hindustan Times.

“Despite the ban on SIMI, its sympathizers have continued to carry on their unlawful activities under the garb of various cover organizations. They have indulged in radicalizing and brain washing the minds of Muslim youth by Jehadi propaganda and through provocative Taqreers (speeches),” said the affidavit.

“There are over three dozen other front organizations through which SIMI is being continued. These front organizations help SIMI in various activities including collection of funds, circulation of literature, regrouping of cadres, etc. SIMI continues to indulge in unlawful activities causing a serious threat to the internal security of the country,” stated the affidavit filed through the ministry of home affairs (MHA).

-INDIA NEWS STREAM