A BJP leader on Tuesday called for a boycott of FIFA World Cup football tournament being held in Qatar over the presence of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik at the sporting venue. Party spokesperson Savio Rodrigues urged the government and Indian football associations to boycott the event.
Naik is wanted in India over allegations of money-laundering and hate speeches. He has been living in exile in Malaysia since 2017.
According to media reports, Qatar, the hosting country, had invited Naik to deliver religious lectures throughout the tournament.
“Giving a platform to Zakir Naik, at a time when the world is fighting terrorism, is to give a platform to a terrorist to spread his radicalism and hate," Rodrigues said in a statement.
He further alleged that Naik was instrumental in spreading Islamic radicalism and hate in India.
"Zakir Naik is a wanted man under Indian law. He is charged with money-laundering crimes and hate speeches. He is a terror sympathiser. In fact, he is no less than a terrorist himself. He has openly supported terrorist Osama bin Laden and has been instrumental in spreading Islamic radicalism and hate in India," said the BJP leader.
The Ministry of Home Affairs had in May declared Zakir Naik-founded Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) as an unlawful organisation and banned it for five years.
The MHA had also observed that the speeches of Naik were objectionable as he has been allegedly extolling known terrorists.
