No question of leaking out information on Zakir Naik's NGO: Govt.

Image
ANI New Delhi [India]
Last Updated : Sep 11 2016 | 3:07 PM IST

Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Sunday said there is no question of the government leaking out information or documents as far as the renewing of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration of Islamic preacher Zakir Naik's NGO is concerned.

"We knew the issue of Zakir Naik's Islamic Research Foundation donating 50 lakhs crores to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation or related body more than a month before, but we do not want to play politics. So, we have asked for more information. In the meantime, some individual journalists have filed RTI to Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and got the information. There's no question of government leaking out the documents or information," Rijiju told the media here.

Condemning Naik, Rijiju said it was unfortunate that rather than thinking about what the Congress has done, the Islamic preacher was making unnecessary accusations.

"We abhor equating religion with terrorism. Anybody who propagates terrorism will not bear anything with regards to identity of particular religion. National security is most important," he added.

Naik has written an open letter to the government, seeking clarification on the allegations of forced conversions.

In a series of questions posed to the government, he asked why a probe continued against him even after "not a single conclusive evidence of wrong doing" was reported by any agency.

"Why would the government renew Islamic Research Foundation's FCRA registration and then cancel it? Is there design to leaking confidential information of the government, solicitor general and the MHA? Is there a design to leaking selective government documents to the media?" the letter read.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Sep 11 2016 | 3:07 PM IST

Next Story