Crackdown on SIMI activists continues

By Our Special Correspondent

AHMEDABAD, SEPT. 30. About two dozen activists of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) have been arrested in Gujarat so far following the ban clamped on it by the Centre.

An official spokesman said here, 11 persons, claimed to be SIMI activists, were arrested in Ahmedabad this afternoon while staging a demonstration with posters of Osama bin Laden. The police have also raided the printing press where the posters of bin Laden were reportedly printed.

The police had arrested eight SIMI activists from Bhuj on Saturday night, while at least three others were picked up from Ahmedabad and some other parts of the State earlier. However, most of the top leaders of the SIMI's State unit were reported to have given a slip to the police even as the government claimed that it was aware about their whereabouts and would arrest them only if they continued to their ``objectionable activities'' after the organisation was banned by the Centre.

PTI, UNI report:

The Bihar Government has also fallen in line with the Centre and ordered a crackdown on the activities of the SIMI. The belated decision followed a high-level meeting of the State officials with the Chief Minister, Ms. Rabri Devi, on Saturday. The Union Home Ministry had on Friday evening reportedly sent a directive to the State Home Department for arresting top SIMI activists and office-bearers, official sources said.

In Madhya Pradesh, 29 of the total 60 active members and office- bearers of the SIMI have been held so far, police said here today.

In Solapur, six more SIMI activists were arrested yesterday, taking the total number of arrests in the district to nine. Three activists were arrested from different parts of the city on September 28 and released on bail.

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