NEW DELHI — The Central Government has outlawed controversial preacher Zakir Naik's Islamic Research Foundation for another five years.
Published through a formal gazette notification on November 13, the Ministry of Home Affairs invoked extraordinary statutory powers under sub-sections (1) and (3) of Section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The order declared the organisation an unlawful association with immediate effect. The clampdown comes directly before the group's previous five-year prohibition was scheduled to expire.
The legal shield vanished instantly.
The Union Government first slapped a ban on the Mumbai-founded outfit in November 2016, citing national security concerns. It renewed the prohibition five years later in November 2021. In both instances, the state's executive orders stood up to judicial scrutiny—the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal confirmed and ratified the restrictions in May 2017 and March 2022.
In its latest statutory order, the Home Ministry charged that the foundation and its members—steered directly by founder and president Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik—continue to incite discord. The notification stated that the organisation actively aided and encouraged adherents to stoke enmity, hatred, and ill will between different religious communities across the country.
The ministry classified Naik's speeches as overtly subversive.
Among the government's central allegations is the vast digital footprint of the preacher, who was born on October 18, 1965. Authorities established that Naik exploited international satellite television networks, internet services, print materials, and social media platforms to beam radical addresses to millions worldwide. Those communications, the ministry asserted, deliberately inspired youths in India and overseas to execute acts of terror.
If the group's unlawful activities are not curbed immediately, the IRF will regroup its on-the-run activists, disrupt the secular fabric of the nation, propagate anti-national sentiments, and escalate secessionism by supporting militancy.
Ministry of Home Affairs, Official Gazette Notification
Federal authorities cautioned that inaction carried grave operational consequences. Left unchecked, the ministry warned, the apparatus would mobilize fugitive operatives, undermine the country's secular order, and fuel regional militancy through sustained secessionist messaging.
| Legal and Administrative Parameter | Official Case Status |
|---|---|
| Target Entity | Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) |
| Founder & President | Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik |
| Governing Legislation | Sections 3(1) and 3(3), UAPA, 1967 |
| Duration of Extension | 5 Years from Gazette Publication Date |
| Initial Ban Date | November 2016 (Confirmed May 2017) |
| Prior Renewal Date | November 2021 (Confirmed March 2022) |
Under statutory requirements, the renewed five-year prohibition remains subject to formal proceedings before the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal, which must adjudicate under Section 4 of the Act whether sufficient cause exists to sustain the executive declaration.