Union Home Ministry is ready with the draft note that may soon be sent for the final nod of the Cabinet.
The government has come a step closer to banning controversial Salafist Zakir Naik's NGO Islamic Research foundation (IRF) by invoking provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Union Home Ministry is ready with the draft note that may soon be sent for the final nod of the Cabinet. The Home Ministry has used inputs, containing irrefutable evidence, from both Maharashtra Police and the Intelligence Bureau to prepare the note, highly placed sources said.
The note, sources said, invokes UAPA provisions against IRF and televangelist Naik on three counts -- promoting enmity and hatred between different religions and motivating youth to commit terrorist acts through hate speeches; having dubious money dealings with Peace Television, an international Islamic channel accused of propagating terrorism; and Naik being implicated by Maharashtra Police in criminal cases for alleged involvement in radicalising youth.
Action against Naik and IRF became pertinent after investigations revealed that Naik had also transferred IRF's foreign funds to Peace TV for making "objectionable" programmes. Some of these programmes that were shot and made in India contained alleged hate speeches of Naik, who had reportedly "urged all Muslims to become terrorists" through Peace TV, added sources.
Investigators have found nearly 50 speeches of Naik highly objectionable for being provocative. Besides, there are about half-a-dozen criminal cases pending against him. The Mumbai-based preacher has not returned to India ever since the controversy came to light after Bangladeshi newspaper Daily Star reported that one of the perpetrators of the July 1 terror attack in Dhaka, Rohan Imtiaz, ran propaganda on Facebook quoting Naik.
Two other educational trusts run by Naik have also come under the scanner of the Home Ministry and agencies have been asked to investigate into their activities. Proceedings against them are expected to begin soon, said sources.
In lectures, aired on Peace TV, Naik had reportedly "urged all Muslims to be terrorists" and even indirectly praised Osama bin Laden for "terrorising the terrorist, America." The televangelist is banned in the UK and Canada for his hate speeches, and is among 16 banned Islamic scholars in Malaysia.
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