The Centre has renewed its ban on controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) for another five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), citing concerns over national security and communal harmony.
The Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) issued the notification on Friday, a day before the previous ban was due to expire. It said the organisation and its founder-president, Zakir Abdul Karim Naik, continued to encourage and aid followers in promoting enmity, hatred and ill-will between different religious communities.
“The statements and speeches made by Dr Zakir Naik, the president of the IRF, are objectionable and subversive,” the notification signed by home ministry joint secretary Rakesh Rathi stated. It added that Naik had made radical statements and speeches that reached millions of people worldwide.
Why the Centre renewed the ban
The ministry warned that allowing the organisation to operate unchecked could have serious consequences for the country. According to the notification, the IRF could reorganise activists who remain absconding, disrupt India's secular fabric, spread anti-national sentiments and escalate secessionism by supporting militancy.
The government had first banned the IRF in November 2016, after Naik left India amid allegations linking his speeches to radicalisation. The decision followed the Dhaka cafe attack in Bangladesh, after which terrorists responsible for the assault were reported to have claimed they were inspired by Naik.
The ban was renewed for another five years in 2021. A UAPA tribunal subsequently upheld that extension, allowing the prohibition to remain in force until November 14, 2026. Friday's notification extends the ban for a further five-year period.
Naik remains in Malaysia
Naik fled India in 2016 and is currently based in Malaysia, where he was granted permanent residency during the tenure of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.
India has repeatedly sought his extradition to face charges related to money laundering and incitement to extremism. However, he continues to remain outside the country.
Naik met Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad in October 2024 and visited Pakistan again in February 2025.