The Government has put controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik’s NGO IRF Education Trust in the prior permission category, preventing it from receiving foreign funds without the Centre’s nod. In a gazette notification, the Home Ministry said that on the basis of records available and reports received from intelligence agencies, it found that the IRF Education Trust has violated various provisions of the Foreign Contribution Regulations Act (FCRA) 2010.
In a gazette notification, the Home Ministry said that on the basis of records available and reports received from Intelligence agencies, it found that the IRF Education Trust has violated various provisions of FCRA 2010.
“Now, therefore, the Central Government in exercise of powers conferred by sub-section (3) of Section 11 of the FCRA 2010, hereby specifies that the IRF Education Trust shall obtain prior permission of the Central Government on each occasion before accepting any foreign contribution in accordance with the provisions of Section 12 of the Act and rules made thereunder,” the notification said.
The move came after different investigations found Naik to be “involved” in utilising funds meant for his NGOs for alleged radicalisation of youths and “inspiring” them into terror activities, official sources said.
The Government is also in the process of cancellation of the FCRA registration of Islamic Research Foundation, another NGO promoted Zakir Naik, and a final show cause notice to the organisation has already been issued.
Interestingly, the IRF’s registration under the FCRA was renewed in September inadvertently despite multiple probes against Naik, leading to suspension of a Joint Secretary and four other officials in the MHA.
The Government is also planning to declare IRF as an unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and a nod from the Union Cabinet is awaited for it.
The Union Home Ministry has derecognised more than 11,000 NGOs after they failed to renew their registration under the Foreign Contribution Regulations Act by the June 30 deadline this year. The decision prevents them from receiving foreign funds.
In a statement the Ministry’s FCRA wing said the validity of their registration will be deemed expired from November 1, 2016. Most of these NGOs were registered as orphanages, educational institutions, mainly floated by various Christian Missionaries. Some NGOs which figure in the cancelled list are staff welfare organisations associated with various Government departments.
In 2015, the Home Ministry had cancelled FCRA registration of 10,000 non-Government organisations because they did not file their annual returns for three years in-a-row. Many of these organisations were defunct or did not want the FCRA registration in any case.