Anger in India over Zakir Naik’s presence in FIFA World Cup

One of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Union ministers has finally reacted to the presence of Islamic preacher Zakir Naik in Qatar during the Football World Cup, saying the government is taking the matter seriously.

He said that why the government of Qatar finally invited the controversial preacher of Indian origin to come to Doha as a special guest on this occasion, India will raise its position with Doha in the strongest terms.

It should be noted that India’s ruling Hindu nationalist party Bharatiya Janata Party has strongly objected to Zakir Naik’s invitation to the World Cup and has demanded the government to boycott the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Should. Discussions have been going on in this regard for the last several days on Indian media and social media as well.

However, India’s Vice President Jagdeep Dhankade attended the FIFA World Cup opening ceremony with his wife as India’s representative.

In this regard, when Indian journalists asked the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Puri, he said: “We (India) have our own views about him (Zakir Naik) and I am sure about him. I will inform the relevant authorities in the strictest terms.

Responding to a question about Qatar inviting Zakir Naik to the FIFA World Cup, the Indian minister said, “I have no knowledge of that.” “I am sure India has raised this issue and will continue to raise it,” he replied.

It should be noted that the Qatari government has invited Zakir Naik, a well-known Islamic preacher of Indian origin, where he is giving a lecture on religious issues during the FIFA World Cup tournament.

Meanwhile, Savio Rodrigues, a spokesman for the ruling Hindu nationalist party BJP, appealed to the government, the Indian Football Association and Indians traveling to the host country, since Qatar invited the controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik to the FIFA World Cup. Yes, it should be boycotted.

He said that FIFA World Cup is a global event. “People from all over the world come to watch this spectacular game and millions watch it on TV and on the Internet. At a time when the world is fighting global terrorism, giving Zakir Naik a platform is like giving a platform to a terrorist to spread his radicalism and hatred.”

Islamic preacher Zakir Naik hails from the Indian state of Maharashtra, but Modi’s government has filed several cases against Zakir Naik on various charges such as money laundering and hate speech. This is the reason why they are forced to leave India and live in Malaysia. According to the Indian government, he is a fugitive accused.

In March this year, the Ministry of Home Affairs banned Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation as an illegal organization for five years.