
SC junks plea against extension of ban on SIMI
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta refused to hear the plea against the July 24, 2024 order of the Unlawful Activities Act tribunal.
The tribunal was constituted under the UA after the Centre on January 29, 2024 decided to extend the ban on SIMI for five years.
It was set up for adjudicating whether or not there was sufficient cause for declaring SIMI an outlawed organisation.
SIMI was first declared outlawed in 2001 during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and since then the ban has been extended periodically.
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 . However, the organisation declared itself independent in 1993 through a resolution.
On Monday, the counsel appearing for the petitioner said the tribunal confirmed the Centre's order of January 29, 2024 extending the ban on SIMI for the ninth time.
He said since September 2001, the ban was continuing and there were other pending matters in the top court challenging the ban on SIMI.
The counsel requested the bench to issue notice on the plea and tag it with the pending matters.
When he said the petitioner was a former member of SIMI, the bench said, "Then why are you here? Let the organisation come."
After the counsel said the organisation did not exist, the bench asked, "How does it affect you then?"
The counsel said there were legal issues that remained in the matter.
He said the government did not recognise the fact that SIMI was defunct now.
The bench, however, refused to entertain the plea.
The tribunal confirmed the five-year extension of the ban imposed on SIMI, saying the outfit had not abandoned its objective of "Jehaad" for the cause of Islam and continued to work for establishment of Islamic rule in India.
While extending the ban on SIMI, the government said the group was involved in fomenting terrorism and disturbing peace and communal harmony in the country.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
20 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Nagaland CM Rio bats for permanent school infrastructure
Kohima, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Saturday said the state must move away from temporary school structures and focus on building permanent, quality infrastructure to ensure long-term educational progress. Nagaland CM Rio bats for permanent school infrastructure He was speaking during the virtual inauguration of 51 school infrastructure projects funded under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, held at the chief minister's residential complex here. The projects include 15 new school buildings, additional classrooms in 17 schools, 18 teachers' quarters, and one residential hostel, spread across various districts, a DIPR statement here said. Calling it a "significant step" in strengthening the education sector, Rio expressed gratitude to the Centre for its continued support and praised the State Samagra Shiksha Mission, led by Mission Director L. Jamithung Lotha, for effectively implementing the projects across the state. The CM said despite the state's difficult geographical terrain, particularly in remote areas, efforts were being made to consistently improve school infrastructure. He said, "While infrastructure is critical, it is not enough on its own. Community participation and ownership are equally vital to ensure proper maintenance and effective use of the facilities." Rio also stressed that quality education is central to development. "It empowers citizens, drives economic growth, creates opportunities, and helps build a responsible and prosperous society," he said. He urged all stakeholders to work together to create a safe, inclusive, and nurturing environment for students' holistic development. Advisor for School Education and SCERT, Kekhrielhoulie Yhome, shared detailed statistics on government school infrastructure, stating that of the 16,087 rooms in government schools, 13,767 are used for instructional purposes, while the rest serve as laboratories, libraries, and teachers' rooms. Yhome emphasised that funding under Samagra Shiksha has been instrumental in addressing infrastructure gaps and said the department's goal of bringing back one lakh out-of-school children by 2030. This, he said, would improve both educational outcomes and economic conditions for families. In his introductory remarks, State Mission Director L. Jamithung Lotha outlined the objectives of the scheme, which integrates previous centrally-sponsored schemes—Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan , Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan , and Teacher Education —in line with the National Education Policy 2020. He highlighted key interventions such as school building development, provision of textbooks and uniforms, teacher training, and smart classrooms, while also raising implementation challenges. The virtual event was also attended by MLA A. Pongshi Phom; Commissioner and Secretary to the Chief Minister, Mohammad Ali Shihab, Commissioner and Secretary for School Education and SCERT, Kevileno Angami, and officials from various departments. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

The Hindu
20 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Congress trying to defame Centre over BC reservation issue: Kishan Reddy
BJP senior leader and Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy has reiterated that the Congress government's attempt to provide 42% reservation to the Backward Classes (BCs) in local bodies would not at all benefit the BCs, as they would only get 32% reservation since the proposed BC reservations include 10% Muslim quota. He accused the Congress government of resorting to appeasement politics for political gains. Addressing a protest organised by the BJP OBC Morcha at Dharna Chowk on Saturday, Mr. Reddy said the reservations would indeed be around 32% for the BCs, as 34% reservations in local bodies were already in implementation before the BRS regime in the State. 'The Congress government has not completed the process to implement 42% reservations for the BCs. Instead, it's trying to defame the BJP and the Centre,' he said. Former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao also reduced the reservations to 23% from 34% in the local bodies for BCs. Now, Mr. Revanth Reddy is also trying to reduce the reservations, he alleged. 'The people of Telangana are observing Revanth Reddy's anti-BC actions. Despite being in power in the State and at the Centre for many years, the Congress has not conducted a caste census. To do justice to the BCs, the Centre, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will conduct a caste census along with the population census. If the Revanth Reddy government is really sincere about the welfare of BCs, I demand that it offer 42% reservation to the BCs as announced,' he added. BJP State president N. Ramchander Rao also slammed the Congress for its attempts to stage a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on August 6 over the issue of BC Bills. Mr. Rao said it is the responsibility of the Congress government to implement the two Bills passed by the Telangana Assembly in March this year, which provide 42% reservation to BCs in local bodies, education and employment. BJP senior leaders, including MP Eatala Rajender and MP (Rajya Sanbha) R. Krishanaiah, attended the meeting.


India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Watch film first: Kerala Story director on Pinarayi Vijayan's National Award criticism
Kerala Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, condemned the National Award win for 'The Kerala Story'. In an exclusive interview with now, the film's director, Sudipto Sen, reacted to the criticism from the senior politician, referring to the Chief Minister's support for former Kerala CM, VS Achuthanandan, in the said he read the entire post made by Vijayan on X, in which he called 'The Kerala Story' a film that "spreads blatant misinformation with the clear intent of tarnishing Kerala's image and sowing seeds of communal hatred." advertisementWhen asked to comment on the post, Sen said he doubts that Vijayan had even watched his film before criticising its National Award win. "I have, I have a mixed bag reaction. Number one, I'm sure he did not see the film. I would request, he's a very, very senior politician and a very, very revered politician, so I would request him to watch the film," he recalled Vijayan's support for Achutanandan's statement a few years back. He elaborated, "And if he had watched the film, then he would know that 15 years back, his senior, Comrade VS Achuthanandan, came to Delhi to have a press conference to say that the way PFI (Popular Front of India) kind of communal outfits are converting women there, Kerala will turn into Islamic state in the next 20 years. It is on record. The video is available on YouTube. You need not check with me."He went on, "When he did that press conference in Delhi, there was a protest in Kerala. And you know who actually came in support of VS Achuthanandan sir? Mr Pinarayi Vijayan, who was his deputy in the Communist Party - I think he was the joint secretary or something. He supported VS Achuthanandan's concern wholeheartedly."Sen highlighted the irony of Pinarayi's current statement and his actions 15 years back."What he said at that time and what he's saying now are the complete opposite. Which Pinarayi Vijayan sir should I trust?"The filmmaker continued to call himself someone who believes in art, and is unaware of the dynamics of politics. He said, "I am not a politician. I don't understand their style of talking, the style of the strategies of their political life - how it evolves. I'm not the right person to make any comment on any politician's point."He then referred to the film's certification by the censor board, highlighting that due diligence was done while it was originally released in 2023."I will only say the censor board gave a certificate to the film after two months of rigorous checking. They checked the authenticity of each and every dialogue. I stand by every word spoken in the film. I stand by every scene shown in the film. And anybody can challenge my film shot by shot. I am there to answer."advertisement Sen said he would rather focus on the adulation that he's getting for the film, and for the prestigious honour. He said for every Pinarayi Vijayan-like criticism, there are hundreds of congratulatory messages that he would rather read first."The critics are outnumbered in the film. I love my critics. I love my people who praise the film, praise the award, congratulate me. As a human being, I am also a greedy person. I am counting the congratulations. I am right now only reading the congratulatory messages. I will be reading the criticism later," he concluded.'The Kerala Story' won two awards at the 71st National Film Awards - Best Direction, and Best Cinematography. The film follows a group of Kerala women who are coerced into embracing Islam, sexually abused and are eventually made to join ISIS. The initial promos claimed that thousands of Hindu women have been converted to Islam - which was challenged by various a court case, the makers accepted to add two disclaimers, stating that the figures mentioned in the film were "inauthentic and that the movie was a fictionalised depiction of events."- EndsMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Pinarayi Vijayan