The central government has once again imposed a five-year ban on Zakir Naik’s organization, the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF).
डॉ.जाकिर नाइक के संगठन IRF पर गृह मंत्रालय ने 5 साल का प्रतिबंध बढ़ाया
The central government has once again taken significant action against the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), an organization linked to fugitive Islamic preacher Zakir Naik. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has declared the organization ‘unlawful’ and imposed a ban on it for the next five years. This was announced in a notification issued by the Ministry on November 13, 2026. The action has been taken under Section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967.
The IRF has previously been subjected to bans on two occasions. It was first declared an unlawful organization in November 2016, and subsequently, in November 2021, the ban was extended for another five years.
A Threat to National Security and Communal Harmony: The Centre
The central government maintains that the activities of the Islamic Research Foundation pose a threat to the nation’s security. The government fears that the organization’s activities could negatively impact social peace, communal harmony, and the country’s secular fabric.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has leveled serious allegations regarding the activities of the organization’s members, as well as its founder and president, Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik.
First Ban Imposed in 2016
The central government first imposed a five-year ban on the IRF in November 2016. In November 2021, the government extended this ban for another five years. In March 2022, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal upheld the government’s decision, stating in its order that there were sufficient grounds to declare the Islamic Research Foundation an unlawful organization.
What are the allegations against Zakir Naik? Previous notifications from the Ministry of Home Affairs alleged that Zakir Naik, through his speeches and statements, promotes hatred and animosity among various religious communities. The government has maintained that his views could incite youth toward radicalization.
Furthermore, the government expressed concerns that the activities of Zakir Naik and his organization could adversely affect the nation’s peace, communal harmony, and secular fabric.
Zakir Naik has been outside India since 2016.
Zakir Naik left India for Malaysia in 2016. Investigations by Indian agencies against him are ongoing. The central government has now once again imposed a five-year ban on the IRF, effectively halting the organization’s activities.
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