NEW DELHI: The Centre on Wednesday warranted continuation of the two decade-old restriction on Students Islamic Movement in India (SIMI) and informed the Supreme Court that despite the restriction, the core intent of SIMI to replace the democratic established in the nation with an Islamic Caliphate through jihad is kept alive through various splinter groups formed by ex-cadre of the prohibited association.While informing that the 2019 notice banning SIMI under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for five more years is pending adjudication before a tribunal headed by Justice Mukta Gupta, the Union government stated successive restriction notifications since 2001 was necessitated as those associated with SIMI are continuing to make all out efforts to carry out their ominous agenda to achieve the goals of the prohibited organisation.

SIMI is carrying out its activities under the clothes of cover organisations in several states of the country.

Many SIMI cadres have actually regrouped under numerous names like Wahadat-e-Islami in TamilNadu; Indian Mujahideen in Rajasthan, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi; Ansarullah in Karnataka; Muslim Muttahida Mihad in Uttar Pradesh; Wahadat-e-Ummat in Madhya Pradesh; and Nagarik Adhikar Suraksha Manch in West Bengal, the Centre said.The government said, Karuna Foundation in Kerala was utilized by ex-SIMI members to counter hazards against Islam.

At the all-India level SIMI has been regrouped under different names consisting of Tahreek-e-Ehyaa-e-Ummat, a movement for the revival of the neighborhood.

There are over 3 dozen other front organisations through which SIMI activities are being continued.

These front organisations help SIMI in numerous activities including collection of funds, blood circulation of literature, and regrouping of cadres, it said.Opposing the contention on behalf of SIMI that the government can not continue the ban by issuing succeeding alerts for more than 20 years, the Centre stated it had the power under UAPA to prohibit anti-national organisations and if it did not have, then such organisations innately harbouring fissiparous objectives towards India would flourish once the ban expires.