'Zero tolerance against terrorism': Centre extends ban on SIMI under UAPA for another 5 years

The Centre on Monday extended ban on the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) as an ‘unlawful association’ for five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).Taking to X, Home Minister's Office posted on X, "Bolstering PM @narendramodi Ji's vision of zero tolerance against terrorism ‘Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI)’ has been declared as an 'Unlawful Association' for a further period of five years under the UAPA.""The SIMI has been found involved in fomenting terrorism, disturbing peace and communal harmony to threaten the sovereignty, security and integrity of Bharat," it added.The Indian government initially banned the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) on February 1, 2014, extending the ban for an additional five years in 2019.Originating in 1977 in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, SIMI's objective is to transform India into an Islamic state. It was first outlawed in 2001 and has faced multiple bans since then.SIMI members have been implicated in various terrorist activities across the nation, such as the 2014 Bhopal jailbreak, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium blast in Bengaluru in 2014, and the Gaya blasts in 2017.With inputs from agencies