Maharashtra government orders probe into Zakir Naik’s public documents
NEW DELHI: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday directed the Mumbai Police to initiate an inquiry into Islamic preacher Zakir Naik ‘s public documents. Earlier in the day, the Centre had called his speeches ‘ highly objectionable ‘ and hinted at ‘appropriate action’ against him.“The home ministry will study (his speeches) . It will take appropriate action after studying them. His speeches, as being reported in the media, are highly objectionable,” Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters in Delhi.
Naidu’s remarks came a day after Minister of State for Home Affairs Union minister of state for home affairs Kiren Rijiju had on Wednesday told reporters in Delhi that, “Zakir Naik’s speech is a matter of concern for us. Our agencies are working on this. But as a minister, I will not comment what action will be taken.”
“I have asked the Mumbai Police Commissioner to conduct a probe (into Naik’s speeches) and submit a report,” chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Thursday.”Everything, including Naik’s speeches, his social media accounts, sources of funding (of a foundation run by him in Mumbai) will be scrutinised , he added.
On Thursday, cops were deployed outside the Mumbai office of a foundation run by Naik as a precautionary measure in the wake of the recent developments.
Zakir Naik’s ‘hate speech’ is reported to have inspired one of the five Bangladeshi militants involved in the recent Dhaka carnage.
Bangladeshi newspaper ‘Daily Star’ had reported that militant Rohan Imtiaz, son of an Awami League leader, ran a propaganda on Facebook last year quoting Naik.
Naik, in his lecture aired on Peace TV, an international Islamic channel, had reportedly “urged all Muslims to be terrorists”.
The controversial Islamic orator and founder of Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation is banned in the UK and Canada for his ‘hate speech’ aimed at other religions. He is among 16 banned Islamic scholars in Malaysia.
He is known in Bangladesh through his Peace TV, although his preachings often demean other religions and even other Muslim sects, the report said.
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