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Four MHA staff suspended for renewing licence of Zakir’s NGO
NEW DELHI: The Union home ministry was left red-faced on Thursday after sources said the foreign funding license for controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik’s
NEW DELHI: The Union home ministry was left red-faced on Thursday after sources said the foreign funding license for controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik’s NGO was quietly renewed despite opposing legal opinion.
As the news surfaced, four ministry officials were suspended, including the joint secretary in-charge of foreigners division, GK Dwivedi, sources added.
“We’re very clear that there should be smooth process of registration or renewal but not when there’s a case pending. The action against the under secretaries and section officer was due to their negligence in clearing the renewal while a case is still pending,” minister of state for home affairs, Kiren Rijiju tweeted late on Thursday.
The ministry had sought the solicitor general of India’s opinion over declaring Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) unlawful under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The ministry was Naik’s statements in different forums allegedly promoted enmity and hatred between religious groups and inspired and incited terrorists – grounds on which the government could proceed to blacklist the IRF.
The Centre was deliberating over the opinion and gathering more evidence to support its case against the NGO.
However, despite this opinion, the license was renewed in the third week of August under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), the law that governs foreign funding of NGOs.
