Shantaram Naik, Congress Rajya Sabha MP, Goa demanded on Monday that controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik should be booked under various provisions of Indian Penal Code(IPC) for hate speech and spreading communal ill-will by scrutinising his speeches carefully.
Replying to a question on the issue at his press conference at the Congress House here on Monday, Mr. Naik said that banning his TV channel and his association may take time and they involve lengthy process involving State and Central machinery.
Mr. Naik felt that the Union Home Ministry should not delay asking the State government to speed up the process to file a First Information Report (FIR) against Naik by taking recourse to provisions of IPC. If his speeches, as some media reports have claimed, allegedly influenced one of the terrorists who was responsible for the Eid-ul-Fitr terror attack in Dhaka last week, then studying his speeches and filing an FIR must take place, said the MP.
“I do not know if the Ministry of Home Affairs has conducted a study. If proper study had been done, then an FIR could have been filed. Have they not got a copy of any speech in which he commented against any community or religion? Does it take so much time?” asked Mr. Naik.
“If you want to ban a (TV) channel or an association, you need time to investigate. But to find out whether the person’s speech creates communal hatred or not does not require time,” Mr. Naik remarked.
Mr. Naik said that in one of the speeches heard by him, the contents did not seem “right”.
“If you examine the speeches, you will realise what he has said about a particular community. I have heard his saying that there should only be one religion and the rest should come under its wing. This is not right,” Mr. Naik said.
J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti known not to rule, known only to blame:
In reply to another question on the on-going violence in Jammu & Kashmir, Mr. Naik said the government headed by Ms. Mehbooba cannot run an administration, but instead blames others.
When asked if Ms. Mufti, as Chief Minister, should be held responsible for the recent spate of violence following the killing of militant Burhan Wani, Mr. Naik said, “I will not say that. But she knows how to blame others, but she cannot run an administration. This is what it is”.
He further said that the violence, which has resulted in over 20 deaths was ironic, considering that Mufti is considered “soft” towards terrorists.
“This should not happen. The party ruling at the Centre (BJP) is partner in the government. Secondly, when Mehbooba Mufti whom we consider is “soft” towards terrorists how can this happen? Neither the Congress is in government, nor the National Conference. Earlier she used to just blame others,” Mr. Naik said
