SIMI movements under constant watch: Patil

NEW DELHI: The banned outfit, Students Islamic Movement of India, is continuing its clandestine activities and its movements are under constant watch, Home Minister Shivraj Patil told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

The Minister said state governments and the Delhi government have indicated that as many as 179 cases registered against SIMI are at different stages in courts.

"The activities of SIMI are under constant watch of law enforcement agencies," he said.

Earlier, replying to supplementaries during Question Hour, Patil told BJP member S S Ahluwalia that the inquiry on derailment of the Shramjeevi Express in Jaunpur and the railway station blast there was being conducted by the UP Police.

He said the function of the Railway Police was confined to protection of passengers and the railway station. The Minister said a debate was on whether the Railways should be given additional powers.

Ahluwalia said the Centre, according to its suitability, decides whether an issue should be considered a state or central subject and cited the G C Banerjee Committee report on Godhra in this regard.

He sought to know whether there was a persistent attempt to set up a religious school of a particular community in UP which was rejected by the state government.      SP members protested against this saying this was not correct.