JD (U) calls for ban on all forms of extremism

With Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju stating that decision to ban controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik is the call for law enforcing agencies to take, the Janata Dal (United) on Thursday said all forms of extremism should be banned.

"Religious leaders in every community have increased ever since BJP came to power. We get to hear news of extremism from Punjab, from UP and also from Mumbai. So, all kinds of extremism should be banned," JD (U) leader K.C.Tyagi told ANI.

Rijiju had yesterday said, it was not wise on the part of a minister to make announcement on banning Zakir Naik, who was followed by one of the five Bangladeshi youths involved in the killing of 22 people at Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka last Friday. He added that that it is the call of the law and agencies.

He said that India and Bangladesh have been working closely together for many years, especially related to security related issues.

"The present government of Bangladesh is very favourable to India's concern. That is why, for any action to be taken we have to work together because the threat of terrorism is not limited to one country," he told media yesterday.

According to a Bangladesh newspaper, militant Rohan Imtiaz, son of an Awami League leader, propagated on Facebook last year quoting the controversial Indian Islamic preacher Zakir Naik.

Naik, in his lecture in Peace TV, reportedly urged all Muslims to become terrorists.

Naik, a popular but controversial Islamic orator and founder of Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation, is banned in UK and Canada for his hate speech aimed against other religions.

He is among the 16 banned Islamic scholars in Malaysia.