MHA notice to Zakir Naik not related to terrorism: Naik's counsel

After the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a show cause notice to the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), run by controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, Naik's counsel, on Tuesday said the notice did not contain violations relating to terrorism or any terrorist activity alleged against the preacher.

"There are certain violations which are mentioned in that. We are still studying the notice, will give reply to it within a stipulated period," Naik's counsel Mubin Solkar told ANI here.

"There was no mention of any kind of violations relating to terrorism or any terrorist activity alleged against Naik," he added.

Earlier, the MHA issued a show cause notice to Naik's NGO thereby initiating the process for cancellation of its FCRA licence.

MHA sources further state that the process for putting Zakir Naik's educational trust in prior permission category has also been initiated.

The Centre had time and again asserted that Zakir Naik's IRF is maligning India and, therefore, on several occasions advocated for a ban.

Naik came under the scanner after the Bangladeshi newspaper 'Daily Star' revealed that one of the perpetrators of the July 1 terror attack in Dhaka, Rohan Imtiaz, was inspired by Naik.

Naik is banned in both the U.K. and Canada for his alleged hate speeches aimed against other religions.

He is among the 16 banned Islamic scholars in Malaysia. He is also accused of radicalizing and attracting youth for terror acts and has come under the scanner of the security agencies.