Hate-speech: As govt threatens probe, Naik issues denials
FollowMaharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has asked the Mumbai police to probe controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik's speeches amid reports that his sermons
inspired one of the terrorists involved in the attack on a restaurant in Dhaka.
"I have asked the Mumbai Police Commissioner to conduct a probe (into Naik's speeches) and submit a report," Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told PTI today.
Everything, including Naik's speeches, his social media accounts, sources of funding (of a foundation run by him in Mumbai) will be scrutinised, said Fadnavis, who also holds the Home portfolio.
The direction comes amid reports that one of the terrorists who attacked an upmarket restaurant in the Bangladeshi capital a few days ago, killing 22 people, was
inspired by sermons of the 50-year-old Mumbai-based Islamic scholar.
Naik has denied propagating terrorism in any way.
"I totally disagree (with suggestion) that I inspired this act of killing innocent people. There is not a single talk of mine where I encouraged anyone to kill another persons- Muslim or non-Muslim," said Naik, who has been banned in a few countries.
"Many of the news channels in India are showing a clipping where I am saying that every Muslim should be a terrorist. Whenever anyone wants to malign me, they show the
clipping.
Police have been deployed outside the city office of a foundation run by controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, whose ‘hate speech’ is reported to have inspired one of the five Bangladeshi militants involved in the recent Dhaka carnage.
A senior Mumbai Police official said security personnel have been deployed outside Naik’s ‘Islamic Research Foundation’ office at Dongri area in South Mumbai, as a precautionary measure in the wake of the recent developments.
“We have neither received any threat perception nor particular instructions from the State or Central government. We have deployed our forces only as a precautionary measure to avoid any untoward incident,” the official told PTI.
