Zakir Naik banned in Karnataka: NRI in police net for derogatory remarks

Noted Islamic scholar and preacher, Dr Zakir Naik, has been banned from entering Mangaluru city in Karnataka by the police.

This was notified by Mangaluru Police Commissioner S Murugan. He said that Dr Naik had participated in sessions with Pandit Ravi Shankar and Shiv Sena programme when its leader Bal Thackeray was alive, on two different occasions and that the programmes were highly successful.

The vacation division bench of the high court comprising Justice B Manohar and Justice B Veerappa, which took up public interest litigation filed by 21 persons including advocate, N P Amruthesh, seeking to bar entry of Dr Zakir into the city, passed this order on Tuesday December 29.

In his post on Facebook, Akbar is said to have flayed the police decision and made derogatory comments against Murugan and members of his family. The District-in-charge Minister Ramanath Rai while supporting Dr Zakir Naik's program in Mangaluru asked the non-Muslims to extend their support to his visit to the city.

Addressing the media on Wednesday, Vice-president of the organizers Ismail Shafi, said "The ban on Dr. Naik is unconstitutional".

South Karnataka Salafi Movement (SKSM), which is hosting the event, claimed that it had already secured permission to hold the peace meeting but RSS, Vishva Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal and other right-wing groups warned the government and police department of dire outcome if Dr Naik was allowed to enter Mangaluru.

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