Zakir Naik's counsel to move tribunal against Centre's ban on NGO

Mumbai: Following the Centre`s ban on Zakir Naik`s NGO, the Islamic Research Foundation, for five years, the counsel of the controversial Islamist preacher, has asserted that it is an `illegal and unjustified` ban and added that they will move the tribunal against the order.

Naik`s lawyer, Mubin Solkar, told ANI, "So far, we have not been served with any such kind of notification under Section 3 of the UAPA. We are clear that this ban is not justified at all and is an illegal ban, because, the provision of the UAPA has been wrongly invoked in this case. According to us, it is a clear misuse of the provisions of UAPA."

He further said that in order to declare an organisation as unlawful, it has to reveal, highlight and promote the offence under Section 153A, ie promoting enmity on grounds of religion which the Islamic Research Foundation has not done.

"The IRF since its inception has promoted peace and harmony, charitable, sociable and humanitarian activities. This ban is wholly unjustified. So, even if this notification is issued, it does not normally take effect unless it is confirmed by the tribunal," he added.

A confident Solkar said he is sure that the tribunal would cancel the ban.

On Tuesday, the Centre banned the IRF for five years and asked law enforcement agencies to maintain a strict surveillance on activities of all establishments of the organisation.

The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security after Naik was found to deliver provocative speeches.

The development comes after the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a show cause notice to Naik`s NGO thereby initiating the process for cancellation of its FCRA licence.

MHA sources stated that the process for putting Zakir Naik`s educational trust in prior permission category has also been initiated.

The Centre had time and again asserted that Naik`s IRF is maligning India and, therefore, on several occasions insisted that there is a need for it to be banned.

Naik came under the scanner after the Bangladeshi newspaper `Daily Star` revealed that one of the perpetrators of the July 1 terror attack in Dhaka, Rohan Imtiaz, was inspired by Naik.

He is banned in both the United Kingdom and Canada for his alleged hate speeches aimed against other religions.

He is also among the 16 banned Islamic scholars in Malaysia and is accused of radicalizing and attracting youth for terror acts and has come under the scanner of the security agencies.