While Mangaluru police commissioner S Murugan barring the Islamic preacher Zakir Naik from visiting Mangaluru on January 2, 2016, the State govt assured the full support after the organizers approached the Home Minister.
Leading Muslim leaders of Karnataka have questioned the ban imposed by the police alleging that not allowing Mr. Naik to speak at a peace meet was infringing upon their Constitutional rights.
According to reports the programme postponed after the State government assured full support for the programme after two months at the same venue..
Addressing the media on Wednesday, Vice-president of the organizers Ismail Shafi, said “The ban on Dr. Naik is unconstitutional. He is a renowned multi-religious scholar. We met Home Minister (G Parameshwara), who advised us to postpone the event by two months” .
Shafi said they were accompanied to the Home Minister by Dakshina Kannada District In-Charge Minister B Ramanath Rai and that the leaders have promised to grant permission for Dr Naik’s visit then.
Shafi Refuses the allegation that Dr Naik makes provocative speeches due to which Commissioner Murugan denied permission.
Dr Naik is a scholar not only in Quran but also in Bhagavat Gita and Bible and that he has delivered sessions in over 2000 places worldwide.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”, said Shafi.
It is to be noted that earlier Bajrang Dal and other Hindutva outfits in Karnataka condemned the Congress led government of Karnataka for granting permission to Dr. Zakir Naik while imposing a ban on VHP leader Pravin Togadia.