SC asks Centre, states to explain stand on SIMI

The Supreme Court today issued notices to the Union Government and eight states on a petition by Students Islamic Movement of india (SIMI) challenging Union Home Ministry’s order declaring the organisation as unlawful and the subsequent order of a tribunal upholding the same.

A bench comprising Justice V.N. Khare and Justice S.B. Sinha issued the notices after hearing counsel for SIMI, advocate Rajeev Dhawan, who contended that the tribunal upheld the Home Ministry’s September 27, 2001 order issued under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, without considering the fact that preaching of the holy book Quran could not be said to be unlawful propagation.

The states to whom the court issued notices were Kerala, Maharashtra, MP, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Andhra.