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The Uttar Pradesh police has slapped non-bailable cases on the president of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and six others while five of its activists were arrested for attempting to incite communal passions and mislead Muslim youth.
SIMI president Shahid Badr, former SIMI president Anees Mohammad and five others are facing charges of attempting to incite communal passions at the organisation's meet in Bahraich town, about 120 km from Lucknow along the Indo-Nepal border.
Both Shahid Badr and Anees Mohammad were alleged to have openly defended Saudi born terrorist Osama bin Laden. SIMI had reportedly brought out some posters hailing Osama sometime last year.
The two leaders had condemned the United States of America for making serious accusations about the attacks in New York and Washington against Laden 'without any reasonable evidence'.
Raising serious objections to the Centre's offer of support to the Americans, Badr was reported to have told the gathering in Bahraich, "The Indian government had no business to offer support to the Americans without understanding the sentiments of millions of Muslims living here."
The local police had earlier been instructed to get the event recorded on video. It would be used as evidence against the organisation whose activities have been giving sleepless nights to the government.
The state administration felt that SIMI was misguiding the Muslim youth by portraying that Islam was in some kind of danger in India.
According to state principal secretary (home) Naresh Dayal, "Cases were registered under Sections 153 (A & B), 298 and 120B (non-bailable) against 12 SIMI activists, including its Bahraich district chief Nusrat."
Nusrat had organised the 'city conference' at a girls college in Bahraich on September 17, Dayal said.
SIMI's direct involvement in the Kanpur riots earlier this year has also been officially confirmed.
SIMI leaders were stated to have now crossed all limits in inciting communal passions.
At Bahraich, the SIMI chief also reiterated his oft-repeated demand for arrest of prominent ruling BJP leaders, including Union Home Minister L K Advani, Sports Minister Uma Bharati, Vishwa Hindu Parishad chief Ashok Singhal and Bajrang Dal president Vinay Katiyar for their involvement in the demolition of the Babri mosque in December 1992.
Terming Advani as a 'murderer', Badr said, "It was Advani's Rath yatra that had provoked communal riots in which a large number of Muslims were killed."
Declaring his resolve to expand his organisation, Badr also gave a call for recruiting 'at least 2.5 million new volunteers on its rolls'.
"I appeal to all Muslims to entrust at least one member of each family into the SIMI fold to serve the cause of Islam," he said.
It was in the light of these facts that the UP government had recommended a ban on the organisation.
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