The India government has chose to launch a probe into the speeches of Dr. Zakir Naik, the famous Islamic scholar and founder of Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation, in the wake of last week’s terrorists attack on a cafe in Dhaka.
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A Bangladeshi newspaper, The Daily Star, carried a report on July 6 claiming that Rohan Imtiaz, one of the five militants involved in the recent Dhaka cafe attack, ran a propaganda campaign on Facebook past year urging all Muslims to be terrorists, quoting Naik’s speech on Peace TV.
Indian authorities on Friday said they are examining and analysing the speeches of Naik and appropriate action will follow.
The government of Bangladesh has banned broadcast of Peace TV, a channel run by controversial Indian preacher Dr. Zakir Naik on allegations that it inspired terrorism. “There is not a single speech of mine where I have encouraged people to kill one another, whether Muslim or non-Muslim”, he said.
It was also chose to monitor the sermons given during Friday prayers to check whether any provocative lectures are delivered, Amu told reporters.
Chief Minister Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday directed the Mumbai Police to start a probe into Zakir Naik’s public documents. “Everyone should take concrete action on this, the entire world should unite together not only to condemn but also to contain terror and this is the need of the hour”, he said.
The Shiv Sena in Maharashtra called for a complete ban on Naik and his channel Peace TV.
Naik, founder of Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation, is banned in Britain and Canada for his hate speeches aimed against other religions. “The Home Ministry is most welcome to go through all my speeches”.
“We will take administrative measures to ban Peace Tv on Monday”, Information Minister Hasanul Huq Inu told reporters after a special meeting conducted to weigh Bangladesh’s security situation and its counter-terrorism strategy.
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Government today warned cable operators over the broadcast of unlicensed channels saying it will lead to confiscation of their broadcasting equipment. “A case of sedition should be filed against him and he must be arrested at the earliest”, he said, and also attacked the preacher for seeking support from Muslim community against his “media trials”.
