The Union Home Ministry has extended the ban imposed on Zakir Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) for five years as it “have the potential of disturbing peace and communal harmony and disrupting the secular fabric of the country.”
Earlier in November 2016, IRF was declared as an “unlawful association” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and was banned for five years. The ban was due to expire on Tuesday. However, since the activities of the IRF have not changed, the ban has been extended for another five years.
According to report, the home ministry said Zakir Naik has been encouraging and aiding its followers to promote or attempt to promote, on grounds of religion, disharmony or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different religious.
“Through such speeches and statements, Zakir Naik has been promoting enmity and hatred among religious groups and inspiring youths of a particular religion in India and abroad to commit terrorist acts,” the home ministry claimed.
The Union government is further of the opinion that if the unlawful activities of the IRF are not curbed and controlled immediately, it will take the opportunity to continue its subversive activities and re-organise its activists who are still absconding, it said.
