Talking to media persons, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said so far his ministry has not received any request from the Home Ministry. "This is very sensitive issue, if any request comes to us, we will examine and suggest as per the law," said Prasad.
Days after the Home Ministry set up teams to scan the activities of Muslim preacher Zakir Naik and sought legal opinion to prosecute him for his controversial comments on terrorism, the law ministry on Thursday said it will examine the issue and give opinion as per the law.
Talking to media persons, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said so far his ministry had not received any request from the Home Ministry. "This is very sensitive issue, if any request comes to us, we will examine and suggest as per the law," said Prasad.
Besides, he spoke about filling of vacancies in higher judiciary expeditiously. However, Prasad refused to comment on the difference between the government and judiciary on the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP)-a document which guides appointment of judges to the Supreme Court and the 24 high courts.
After the Islamic preacher created controversy for his comments on terrorism, home ministry has reportedly set up nine teams from the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and other agencies which is to scan every video footage and CDs of his speeches, his comments on social media including the Facebook posts.
It has also been reported that the funds sent for his 'charitable activities' are being misused which will come under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) violence and irregularities.
Besides his phone calls and e-mails, the sponsors for his foreign trips and meeting are also under the scanner of the NIA.
The Centre is also planning an amendment to the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA)- under which an individual can be put under ban list.
According to a Bangladesh newspaper, militant Rohan Imtiaz, the son of an Awami League leader and one of the perpetrators of Dhaka's diplomatic zone terror attack, quoted Zakir Naik as urging all Muslims during his lecture on Peace TV to become terrorists.
Naik, a popular but controversial Islamic orator and founder of the Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation, is banned in the UK and Canada for his hate speeches.
On the issue of appointment of judges, the minister said he has directed his officials to "expedite" the process of appointment of judges. "Since January, 89 additional judges have been made permanent and 52 new judges appointed," he told reporters here.
The government had drafted the memorandum on the directions of the Supreme Court. But there are disagreements on certain key provisions of the document and the government and the judiciary are working to iron out the differences.
"Independence of judiciary is article of faith for the Narendra Modi government... six senior ministers, right from the Prime Minister, have fought for the independence of judiciary during Emergency... the Emergency saw maximum attacks on the judiciary," Prasad said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Zakir Naik")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}