MEA to ask for extradition of Islamic preacher Zakir Naik from Malaysia soon

The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on Thursday said that inter departmental consultations will conclude soon and they will ask for extradition of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik from Malaysia.

On November 3, the MEA said that India will make an official request to Malaysian government very soon once the legal internal process gets completed

As per media reports, Naik was given permanent residency in Malaysia.

“Maybe in the next couple of weeks, it will clear what will be the nature of the request,” MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

In September, when Zakir Naik had emerged from a prominent Malaysian mosque, fans had swarmed to click selfies with the Indian Muslim televangelist.

Critics claim that Naik's presence in Malaysia is a sign of top-level support for hardline Islam in the country.

Accompanied by a bodyguard, Naik made a rare public appearance at the Putra Mosque in Malaysia's administrative capital, where the prime minister and his cabinet members often worship.

Naik has in the past denied India's allegations. In an interview with a television channel in May, he said he was being targeted by the Indian government because of his popularity.

India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) has already filed a charge sheet against controversial Islamic Scholar Zakir Naik in the case of money laundering and terror funding. He fled from India on July 1, 2016 after terrorists in Bangladesh said that they were inspired by his speeches.