NEW DELHI — The Union Home Ministry has extended the national ban on preacher Zakir Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation for another five years.
The notification came late Friday. In a gazette directive invoking Sub-section (1) of Section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the Centre declared the organisation an unlawful association with immediate effect. The current prohibition was set to lapse on November 14. Authorities moved swiftly to plug that calendar window, warning that any operational lapse would allow the outfit to reconstitute its splintered network across state borders.
The clampdown was decisive.
Central security evaluators determined that the foundation remains actively engaged in operations that undermine the country's secular architecture and internal cohesion. The gazette notification underlined that the organisation's leadership continues to disseminate material calculated to rupture ties between religious communities.
The Central Government is of the opinion that the IRF and its members, particularly the founder and President of the IRF, Dr Zakir Abdul Karim Naik alias Dr Zakir Naik, has been encouraging and aiding its followers to promote or attempt to promote, on grounds of religion, disharmony or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different religious communities and groups which are prejudicial to the integrity and security of the country.
Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Official Gazette Notification
The assessment delivered a severe verdict on Naik’s global footprint. Regulators noted that the founder utilised international satellite television channels, digital platforms, social media, and print materials to beam subversive speeches to millions worldwide. Investigators cautioned that these broadcasts directly motivated impressionable youths in India and overseas toward violent extremism.
| Statutory Parameter | Official Specification |
|---|---|
| Entity Banned | Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) |
| Founder & President | Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik alias Dr. Zakir Naik |
| Governing Statute | Section 3(1), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 |
| Previous Extension Expiry | November 14 |
| Extended Penalty Duration | 5 Years |
| Legal Status | Unlawful Association with Immediate Effect |
Security agencies raised particular alarm over the group's underground infrastructure. Multiple operational figures tied to the outfit remain on the run. Unchecked organizational leeway, the ministry warned, would grant these absconding cadres the breathing room required to re-establish organizational command, recruit new followers, and fan communal discord.
The official notification warned that failing to curtail the entity immediately would escalate regional secessionism by generating logistical support for militancy. Central authorities affirmed that the initial designation of the IRF as an unlawful body had previously weathered judicial scrutiny, having been formally validated and upheld by the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal.
The immediate enforcement guarantees that all assets, bank operations, and allied platforms linked to the foundation remain sealed as law enforcement pursues absconding members across multiple jurisdictions.