Author: Rajesh N Singh
Publication: The Times of India
Date: July 9, 2006
URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1719730.cms
Lack of political will to enforce the ban
imposed by Centre on the Students' Islamic Movement of India (Simi) by Uttar
Pradesh government might play havoc with the state's security as the organisation
is regrouping under a different name and could trigger yet another series
of destructive activities.
Sources in the police department said the
state intelligence has given information that the banned organisation has
rechristened itself. "They have done this to carry out destructive activities,
coupled with creating communal disorder," an official told TOI.
The official said though the ban was imposed
around five years ago, there had been several incidents, including a series
of explosions on railway stations and running trains, in which there were
clues of Simi's involvement.
"With elections round the corner, vote
bank is more important for Samajwadi Party leadership. They don't want to
annoy the minorities and this is the sole reason why no concrete steps are
being taken to put an effective check on their activities, what to talk of
arresting the main leaders," he said.
Whatever little is being done is only to give
an impression that the state government is vigilant, the official said, adding,
"It is all paperwork and nothing beyond that."
He claimed that Simi members had been active
in Azamgarh, Mau, Sant Ravidasnagar, Shahjahanpur, Moradabad, Rampur, Bhadohi,
Siddharthnagar, Gonda, Shravasti, Faizabad and Lucknow but nothing concrete
had been done except for pasting notices at their residences.
When contacted, a senior official in the home
department said the state government had written a letter to the Centre, stating
that the state opposed the ban on Simi as it had not carried out any unlawful
activities in the state after September 2005.
He, however, added that the entire security
machinery was vigilant and this could be gauged by the fact that a list of
active members of the banned organisation was prepared and their residences
and hideouts subsequently raided.
When attention of principal secretary (home)
Satish Kumar Agarwal was drawn towards the Supreme Court's refusal to lift
the ban on Simi, he said.
