Zakir Naik's foundation had complained against TV channel against alleged defamation

The Islamic Research Foundation, whose founder and controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik is under the scanner, had complained against a TV channel for allegedly defaming him after which Congress leader and former Union Minister K Rahman Khan had sought I and B ministry’s intervention during UPA-II rule.

Khan while forwarding a letter from the Foundation complaining against the TV channel to the then Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari had also referred to Naik as a “renowned Indian Islamic scholar.”

According to official sources today, Islamic Research Foundation had written a letter on December 3, 2012 to K Rahman Khan, Minister of Minority Affairs in the previous UPA government, alleging that some persons appearing on a private news channel were involved in a malicious campaign against him.

In the complaint to the Minister, the Foundation had alleged that false statements suggesting that Naik was promoting terrorism were made on the channel.

The complaint sought stopping of the “malicious” campaign against Naik to “avoid disruption of the prevailing communal harmony and peace in our society”.

The Union Minister then wrote a letter to the I&B ministry on February 15, 2013 forwarding the letter by the Foundation and emphasising that Naik is a “renowned Indian Islamic scholar.”