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Controversial Islamic Preacher Zakir Naik – I will return to India only after Congress Party comes to rule again.
Other Versions
(Hindi)
आतंकी ज़ाकिर नाइक ने कहा कांग्रेस सरकार आने पर लौटूंगा भारत |
(Telugu)
కాంగ్రెస్ పార్టీ అధికారంలోకి వచ్చిన తరువాతే ఇండియాలో అడుగు పెడతా ..
జాకీర్ నాయక్
ఇండియాస్ మోస్ట్ వాంటెడ్ క్రిమినల్
Fact Check:
Some messages doing rounds online quote Controversial Islamic Preacher Zakir Naik saying – I will come back to India only after Congress Party comes to rule again. The message is quoted suggesting possible links of Congress Party with him and terrorism. So, let us examine the whereabouts and authenticity of the claims.
Controversy about Zakir Naik
Dr. Zakir Naik is an Indian Islamic televangelist, the founder of NGO Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) and Islamic channel Peace TV. In 2016, Bangladeshi authorities said one of the gunmen responsible for an attack on a cafe in Dhaka had been inspired by Zakir Naik. The terror attack killed 22 people, and in response, Bangladesh banned his Islamic channel Peace TV. After the allegations, Zakir Naik fled India in July 2016.
In November 2016, India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a First Information Report against Naik and his Mumbai-based NGO IRF. It accused Naik of spreading hatred, funding terror and money laundering. Consequently, BJP-led Government of Narendra Modi imposed a five-year ban on the IRF under anti-terror laws.
Zakir Naik is wanted in India, but did not return or cooperate with investigating authorities. As of this writing, he is residing in Malaysia having citizenship of permanent resident. In August 2019, Zakir again made racially-charged remarks during a lecture in Kota Baru, Malaysia – triggering 115 public complaints. Zakir Naik apologized to Malaysians for his racial remarks and authorities banned him from speaking anywhere in Malaysia. Earlier in 2010, the controversial speaker Zakir Naik was also denied entry into the United Kingdom and Canada. The controversial figure even labeled the 9/11 terror attacks in United States an “inside job”.
Zakir Naik to Return to India Under Congress Rule?
Speaking about his return to India, Zakir Naik gave the below statement in early July 2018:
“I have no plans to come to India till I [feel] safe from unfair prosecution. God willing, when I feel that the Indian government will be just and fair, I will surely return to my homeland.”
In May 2019, The Week website theweek.in conducted an exclusive interview with Zakir Naik and also asked couple of question about his return to India.
Qn: You said you have faith in the judiciary. So if there is an assurance of justice, will you return to India?
Ans: If there is an assurance from the Supreme Court of India, that if Dr Zakir Naik comes, they will not arrest me till I’m convicted, I will come.
There was another question asking Zakir if there is a change in government in India, will he be open to the idea of returning. Zakir Naik said he would not like to come back to India if the BJP is in power and the chances of his returning are much more in case of change in government. He said even Congress party is not completely honest.
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