By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
New Delhi: Since it was banned first time in September 2001, Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) has strongly contested every ban and its members the terror cases against them. As the government found its charges against SIMI very weak, a shadowy group called Indian Mujahideen has now been banned to continue harassment of Muslim youth, said ex-SIMI president Dr Shahid Badr.
“When SIMI strongly refuted all terror charges and ban on it, a shadowy organization with the name of Indian Mujahideen appeared after July 2006 Mumbai train bombing. First SIMI was blamed for it, when we held a press conference and strongly refuted it, then was pushed up this name,” Dr Badr said.
Indian Mujahideen came into public knowledge through terror emails in which it warned of or claimed for some terror blasts minutes before the actual blasts. The group is blamed for Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Delhi serial blasts. Scores of Muslim youths have been arrested as members of Indian Mujahideen in connection with the blasts. However, after the arrest of Abhinav Bharat members (Col Purohit, Pragya Thakur and others) in September 29, 2008 Malegaon blasts, blasts in the country have almost stopped, and so the name of Indian Mujahideen. It is noteworthy that all major serial blasts in the country – Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Delhi – took place before September 29, 2008.
Dr Shahid Badr
Who is the founder of IM, where are its offices and headquarters, no one knows, yet it has been banned just to continue the false implication of Muslim youths in terror cases, Dr Badr who practices in his Azamgarh clinic said. “Where are its office, headquarters, and leaders? The ban is a ploy of IB to continue harassment of Muslims, as SIMI was strongly contesting ban and all accusations of terror. Now they banned IM, a shadowy group, they know no will come to defend the ban, and they will continue to use the name to harass Muslims.”
The Union Government on June 4 declared Indian Mujahideen a terrorist organization. The government issued an order adding Indian Mujahideen, all its formations and front organizations to the list of terror groups banned in India. IM has become 35th such organization.
In the media, police and government have projected IM as a frontal organization of banned SIMI. But SIMI president refutes it saying that even in the latest ban notice (about SIMI), the Home Ministry did not mention IM as a frontal group of SIMI.
“In the 100-page background note for the fifth ban (February 2010), the government has mentioned 48 names of frontal organizations of SIMI, but there is no IM in the list,” says Dr Badr. The background note or a notice of ban (5th) was given to him in April this year.
He wondered that organizations whose members are being found involved in blast after blast are free. “Why no ban on Abhinav Bharat or Sanatan Sanstha whose members have been found involved in several terror blasts in the country?” asks Dr Badr. Some members of Abhinav Bharat have recently been found involved in Ajmer Dargah blasts and Makkah Masjid blasts also. But the government is not apparently considering ban on the Nagpur-based group.
The ex-SIMI president Dr Badr, who was also arrested soon after the ban on SIMI in September 2001 but was acquitted by the court as the prosecution could not prove any charge against him, has appealed to Muslim leaders to come forward to oppose the harassment of innocent Muslims in the name of IM.