Law must treat Zakir Naik as equal with the Hindu activists: Uddhav Thackeray

Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray on Monday demanded that the law must treat Islamic preacher Zakir Naik "as equal" with the Hindu activists, and he should be booked for spreading social unrest.

"It is now clear who is spreading social unrest. Until now, the Hindu activists were suspect and subjected to thorough investigations. Now, the same must be applicable to Naik," Thackeray said in a statement here on Monday afternoon.

Pointing out that the Shiv Sena had made its stand on the issue clear even through its mouthpiece Saamana on Monday morning, Thackeray said now it is up to the government to take action.

"Kashmir is burning. The Amarnath Yatra has been suspended. The Bharatiya Janata Party, which is in power both at the Centre and in Jammu and Kashmir, must pay immediate attention to this," Thackeray urged.

He said while we speak about Naik here, Hindus are dying. Despite the presence of the Indian Army there, people have been stuck, they are being attacked, but nobody is paying attention to them, he said.

"What is the government doing," he asked.

Earlier on Monday, in an edit, party mouthpiece Saamana urged the Centre to ignore absconder mafia don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, and instead catch the controversial, Mumbai-based Islamic teacher-preacher Naik for his inflammatory statements.