After cracking down on controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, the government is turning its attention to other preachers who they believe may be propagating jihad and terrorism, and has blocked three websites and blogs by preacher Mufti Abdus Sami who had been arrested by the National Investigation Agency early this year.
Sami, who is from Rampur in Uttar Pradesh, had delivered lectures that radicalised about 24 young men in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai and UP. His websites supported the Islamic State, says The Economic Times.
In his speeches posted on YouTube, Sami apparently urged young Muslims to migrate to Syria, Iraq and Yemen, according to an NIA official. The NIA is also looking into Sami's Twitter account, though his Facebook account so far shows no provocative material, said the official, adding: "We have so far not found any incriminating aspect in his chat history."
Sami was apparently also a member of several pro-Islamic State Whatsapp groups, said a senior government official. He had travelled by invitation to states like Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, to promote ISIS.