Islamic preacher Zakir Naik’s NGO will soon be unable to receive the foreign funds as the Home Ministry on Tuesday served the Show cause notice his NGO “Islamic Research Foundation” (IRF) for canceling its Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA)License, which allowed it to get foreign funds.
Home Ministry found the notice was logical
The ground of canceling his overseas funding is that the government has already served many notices for multiple violations of the FRCA, including not filling its FCA returns regularly, spreading communal hatred and jihadi ideology speeches from its founder Zakir Naik.
A senior Ministry official said that cancellation notice was a logical step after Naik’s Ngo was put under the prior permission category on August 8. Another NGO run by Naik, the IRF Educational Trust that manages the Islamic International School in Mumbai and Chennai will soon be put in the prior permission category, which means it has to take permission from Home Ministry prior to receive foreign funding. Ministry has been also asked Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to monitor and inform all of its transaction.
Government follows procedure to declare “IRF” a terrorist organization
Naik had come to the light after it was disclosed that at least two alleged terrorists involved in the attack at a Dhaka café in July this year who were followers of his blazing speeches. Home Minister has also instigated another procedure to declare IRF a terrorist organization under the UAPA.
Naik uses funds for radicalization of Youth
Home Ministry found that he was utilizing the foreign funds that he received for alleged radicalization of youth and encouraging them to join terrorist’s communities, said an official. Interestingly, the IRF’s registration under the FCRA was renewed in September unintentionally despite multiple investigations, leading to the suspension of a Joint Secretary and four other officials in the Home Ministry.
The government is making ground declare IRF an unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and a nod from the Union Cabinet is awaited for it.
