Lucknow: A couple of days after the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) was suspected to be involved in Mumbai blasts, the Samajwadi Party-led Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday came out in strong defence of the organisation saying it was not a terrorist outfit.
"The role of SIMI is under investigation in connection with the Mumbai blasts, but it would be improper to call it as a 'terrorist organisation'," Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav said.
He added that his government had no evidence that SIMI was active in his state and that it was too early to say whether SIMI had any role to play in the 7/11 Mumbai blasts.
"The authorities are looking for the perpetrators of the Mumbai blasts and the investigations are still on. Let's see the outcome," he said.
Congress spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan says," We are least interested in Mulayam's statements. But we want proper investigation."
Mulayam was simply reiterating what he had told the Centre in June 2005.
"There may be some with dubious distinction in SIMI, but it is wrong to dub the whole organisation as terrorist," senior UP minister and Samajwadi Party general secretary Shivpal Singh Yadav said.
BJP spokesperson Prakash Javedakar says, "It is unfortunate as to what he is saying. It is on eve of elections."
Mulayam has always protected the unlawful body despite the fact that his own intelligence and security agencies have hinted at the fact that SIMI might be involved in the Shramjeevi Express blasts that took place soon after the attack on the disputed site in Ayodhaya and more recently, the Varanasi blasts.
In June 2005, he had expressed similar sentiments, saying no evidence about SIMI's involvement had been found in the two major incidents.
"There is a ban on SIMI, but that is an order of the Central Government," Mulayam added.
Shivpal Singh Yadav alleged previous governments in UP had misused SIMI's name to target some politicians, and termed such measures highly condemnable.
"Even my name alongwith some other SP leaders was framed in the SIMI list," he said.
"We are extremely critical of the Mumbai incident, but at the same time stand against the propoganada against SIMI," he said.
Interestingly, UP had opposed the Centre's ban notice on SIMI sent to the state government on May 22, arguing the organisation was not involved in any activities and neither had it (UP) received any complaint against SIMI.
The notice was part of the overall process to ban SIMI, which was issued by the office of the Registrar, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal at Delhi.
However, there is speculation that Mulayam's statements are nothing more than vote bank politics coming to the fore with the elections approaching.
(With inputs from UNI)
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