Union Home Minister Amit Shah , during his visit to Bhopal, noted that the ‘BJP government in MP has uprooted Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) activities from Malwa.’ The Union Minister is in Bhopalto chair a Central Zonal Council meeting to discuss various issues like ‘connectivity, power, sharing of river water and other matters of common interests,’ officials noted. The Central Zonal Council includes the states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Amit Shah is also set to lay the foundation stone of a National Forensic Sciences University and address a seminar in Bhopal before returning to Delhi on Monday night.
MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan earlier noted that UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Dhami and Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel are expected to attend the meeting. “It is an important meeting in which the welfare of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes, farmers’ welfare, crime against women and children, internal security and prevention of terrorism and Naxalism will be discussed at length, which will benefit all the four states,” he said.
An official noted that PM Modi-led government has been holding the Zonal Council meetings on a regular basis. Notably, there are a total of five Zonal Councils in India. These were set up in 1957 under Section 15-22 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. Union Home Minister chairs all the Zonal Councils and the CM of the host state (which changes every year) acts as the vice chairman.
What is SIMI?
Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) is, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, proscribed as a terrorist organisation. The banned outfit aims to establish Dar-ul-Islam (Islamic land) in India by either converting people forcefully or resorting to violence.
