Zakir Naik's IRF maligning India, deserves to be banned: BJP's Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

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Controversial Islamic-preacher Zakir Naik's Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) is maligning India and, therefore, it is correct to ban it, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said today.

"If any person tries to malign society, tries to divide it, create tension between the people and hamper peace in the country then the government and people always will take strict and sever action against them," said Naqvi.

Naqvi said it has become important to restrict such kind of organisations or people and not provide them much freedom.

The government is in the process of declaring the IRF unlawful under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 2011.

Naik came under the scanner after the Bangladeshi newspaper 'Daily Star' revealed that one of the perpetrators of the 1 July terror attack in Dhaka, Rohan Imtiaz, ran propaganda on Facebook that said he was inspired by Naik to carry out the crime.

Naik is banned in both the UK and Canada for his alleged hate speeches aimed against other religions.

He is among the 16 banned Islamic scholars in Malaysia. He is also accused of radicalizing and attracting youth for terror acts and has come under the scanner of the security agencies.

--ANI