The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti on Monday filed a police complaint with the cyber cell of the Goa Police, seeking a closure of controversial preacher Dr Zakir Naik and his organistion Islamic Research Foundation’s Facebook pages, claiming the two pages contained socially divisive content.
The complaint was filed on Monday by a lawyer Nagesh Takbhate, representing a wing of the samiti with the cyber cell.
“The Islamic Research Foundation and Dr Zakir Naik are active in India, even after the notification of ban and are committing cognisable offence. Therefore the Facebook page of IRF and Zakir Naik should be blocked immediately and an offence must be registered against Zakir Naik and its active members, followers and fans of Dr Zakir Naik and Islamic Research Foundation,” the complaint said.
The TV preacher Naik, who has been the focus of controversy following the recent Dhaka terror attack, has claimed innocence and has contested allegations of stoking communal flames and inspiring terrorists, which are being levelled against him, even as the Union Home Ministry has also started a probe into his activities.
His foundation has already been banned for a period of five years under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
The lawyer has prayed that his complaint be also registered under the Information and Technology Act 2008 and Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
The complaint also says that the respective Facebook pages were posting objectionable content and encouraging followers of these pages to “promote disharmony between different religious communities and groups.”
“The Home Ministry of India has genuine evidence that Zakir Naik has been encouraging and aiding its followers to promote disharmony between different religious communities and groups.
The Central Government has received information that the statements and speeches made by Zakir Naik are objectionable and subversive in nature as he has been extolling the known terrorists like Osama Bin laden, proclaiming that every Muslim should be a terrorist,” the complaint also says.
Speaking to reporters in Panaji, Superintendent of Polic (Crime) Priyanka Kashyap said that her department was in receipt of the complaint and it was being examined.