Following the decision, Islamic Research Foundation can no more accept any foreign funds and will have close down all its activities immediately.
Televangelist Zakir Naik's NGO Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) has been declared as an unlawful organisation. The decision was taken at meeting of the Union cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which took cognizance of the note sent by the Home ministry.
Following the decision, Islamic Research Foundation can no more accept any foreign funds and will have close down all its activities immediately.
The Home ministry note called for invoking Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act provisions against IRF and televangelist Naik on three counts – promoting enmity and hatred between different religions and motivating youth to commit terrorist acts; having dubious money dealings with Peace Television accused of propagating terrorism; and Naik being implicated in criminal cases for alleged involvement in radicalising youth.
Naik and his organisation came under renewed scrutiny after July 1 terror strike in an upmarket café in Dhaka suburbs. 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 Naik's propaganda on the Facebook.
The Home ministry used inputs, containing irrefutable evidence, from both Maharashtra police and the Intelligence Bureau to prepare the note.
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 hate" 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 be terrorists" through Peace TV.
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