Ban on SIMI Confirmed by Judicial Tribunal

New Delhi: A judicial tribunal has confirmed the five-year extension of the ban imposed on Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).

The tribunal stated that SIMI has not abandoned its objective of ‘Jehaad’ for the cause of Islam and that it continues to work for the establishment of Islamic rule in India.

The tribunal, consisting of Delhi High Court judge Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, was constituted on February 16 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 after the Centre on January 29, 2024 decided to extend the ban on SIMI for five years.

The tribunal was set up to adjudicate whether or not there was sufficient cause for declaring SIMI an outlawed organisation.

The tribunal cited a host of reasons for the confirmation of the ban on SIMI, saying the group continues to work for the establishment of Islamic Rule in India, as part of furthering the objectives of the proscribed terrorist organisation ISIS/Daish.

The stated objectives of SIMI are ‘Jehaad’ (religious war) for the cause of Islam, destruction of nationalism and establishment of Islamic rule or Caliphate, utilise students and youth in the propagation of Islam and obtain support for ‘Jehaad’, the notification said.

The SIMI also emphasises on the formation of “Shariat” based Islamic rule through “Islami Inqalab” and it does not believe in the nation state, as well as in the Constitution, or the secular order and it regards idol worship as a sin and its holy duty is to end it, it said.

The SIMI was established on April 25, 1977 in Aligarh Muslim University as a front organisation of youth and students, having faith in Jamait-e-Islami-Hind (JEIH). However, the organisation declared itself independent in 1993 through a resolution.