Zakir NGO cleared for foreign funds, Centre left red-faced
11:16PM Thu 1 Sep, 2016
NEW DELHI: Four home ministry officials, including joint secretary of the foreigners division G K Dwivedi, have been suspended for the renewal of the foreign funding licence of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik's Islamic Research Foundation (IRF).
The renewal of the licence embarrassed the Centre as it came even as agencies are mulling slapping terror charges against Naik in the wake of claims that he influenced youth to join Islamic State and the Bangladesh government's allegation that the Dhaka cafe attackers were inspired by him.
"The MHA has suspended four officers, including Dwivedi and three officers below him. A departmental inquiry is being ordered against him to find out if there was any mala fide intention behind renewal of registration of IRF under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010 (FCRA). Action will be taken accordingly," said an MHA official.
Home ministry officers said it is highly unlikely that the file regarding licence renewal for IRF, being scanned not only for possible FCRA violations but also for forced conversions and spreading communal hatred, was cleared in a moment of oversight.
"The government and its security agencies are weighing the option of declaring IRF an 'unlawful' organisation under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, and the foreigners division brass decides to renew its FCRA licence. This could well be an intentional act and not a plain goof-up," said an officer.
Incidentally, the MHA had last month sent a standard questionnaire to IRF seeking foreign funding details. An IRF spokesperson was quoted on Thursday by a private news channel as saying that the NGO's licence had been renewed last week and that it had replied to the MHA questionnaire.
When reached by TOI, the spokesperson said the NGO had nothing to say on the suspension of the MHA officers. He also refused to specify the exact timing of renewal of the FCRA certificate.
Source: Times Of India
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