Advani rules out ban on Bajrang Dal

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 29.The Union Home Minister, Mr. L. K. Advani, tonight ruled out a ban on the Bajrang Dal and said the Government had declared SIMI unlawful only after gathering adequate evidence. On the demand by the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr. Digvijay Singh, to ban the Bajrang Dal, Mr. Advani said in an interview to the Doordarshan ``nobody has so far come with any evidence suggesting that it is involved in terrorist and anti-national activities or has engineered bomb blasts or secessionist movement.''

``The Central Government persisted with the opinion that the decision to ban the organisation would be taken only when the Government is in a position to produce solid proof before the tribunal,'' he said. It was a coincidence that the ban on SIMI came in the wake of the September 11 attacks.

As part of toning up internal security, the Centre had convened a meeting of the Chief Secretaries and the Directors-General of Police of all the States on October 5. Mr. Vajpayee would also possibly call a meeting of the Chief Ministers to discuss the issue.

- PTI

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