Sep 29, 2015 – FAISAL MALIK | mumbai
Revenue minister and senior BJP leader Eknath Khadse on Monday clearly said that ban on right wing Hindu outfit Sanatan Sanstha would not be possible owing to non-availability of concrete evidence. He further added that if Sanatan Sanstha was banned, then Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) should also be banned.
While speaking with this newspaper, Mr Khadse said that the government is unable to ban Sanatan Sanstha currently. “The state government is ready to consider banning the Sanatan Sanstha. But we don’t have concrete evidence against the outfit,” Mr Khadse said.
He said that the state government keeps getting requests to ban organisations involved in objectionable activities but the government’s decision is based on evidence. “We can ban an organisation, but the decision should be upheld in the court of law. By that logic people may demand even for the ban of a political outfit like AIMIM,” the revenue minister said. Replying to a question, he further added that the probe is going on and if government gets anything concrete against Sanatan Sanstha, it would not hesitate to impose a ban on it. Mr Khadse also gave example of the banned outfit Students Islamic Movement of India. He said that when the government first banned Simi, the court lifted the ban, as there were not enough evidence against it. Later on when the government got solid proof, the outfit was banned.