Five year ban imposed on Zakir Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation (IRF)

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Controversial televangelist Zakir Naik
Controversial televangelist Zakir Naik

New Delhi : The Narendra Modi government on Tuesday approved a-five-year ban on controversial televangelist Zakir Naik’s NGO Islamic Research Foundation (IRF).

The ban has been imposed for its ‘unlawful association’ under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

According to a news report in TIMES OF INDIA, the grounds for declaring the IRF as “unlawful“ included Naik's “objectionable and subversive“ speeches, criminal cases filed against him and other members of the organisation in Mumbai and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra and Kerala, as well as his “dubious“ links with Peace TV that allegedly features “communal“ and “pro-jihad“ content.

According to section 3 of UAPA, under which IRF has been booked, force closure of organisation’s offices and interests will be implemented. 

A FIR was booked against Zakir Naik for his speeches on Peace TV, which allegedly promoted unacceptable content in the society.

Most of these speeches form the content on Peace TV , a part of which was put together by Mumbai-based Harmony Media Pvt Ltd that once had Naik and his wife as directors.