Zakir Naik used funds to spread radical thoughts: India

Naik is facing charges of inciting communal disharmony and committing unlawful activities in India. He is also facing probe both in India and Bangladesh in connection with the terror attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka in July 2016.

Melbourne: The Islamic Research Foundation founded by controversial preacher Zakir Naik has collected millions of rupees through charities and donations worldwide and used the funds to spread radical thoughts, minister of state for home affairs G Kishan Reddy said on Friday.

Presenting India's third intervention on the usage of non-profit organizations in radicalization and terror financing on the last day of the three-day 'No Money For Terror' Conference in Melbourne, Reddy pointed out the strict action taken against the IRF, a Mumbai-based charity organization while continuing to focus on the need for counter-radicalization.

Naik who has been living in Malaysia for the last three years is facing charges of inciting communal disharmony and committing unlawful activities in India. He is also facing probe both in India and Bangladesh in connection with the terror attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka in July 2016.

Reddy said that terror organizations in some countries are misusing NPOs to propagate fundamentalism, radicalization and to move funds to boost their interests.

"India's experience testifies the fact that terror organizations in some countries are misusing NPOs to propagate fundamentalism, radicalization and also to move funds to further the interests of terrorist organizations," the minister said.

"Some NPOs are being misused for fundraising at international level and moving the funds internationally in the garb of donations and charities," he added.

India is occupying center stage in the global war on terror given that it is also hosting a Joint Experts Meeting on behalf of FATF in April 2019 in New Delhi.

Reddy along with National Investigation Agency chief YC Modi and officials of IB, Financial Intelligence Unit and External Affairs Ministry, is currently attending a three-day global conference on 'No Money for Terror' in the Australian city.

The conference is a ministerial-level grouping of 70 countries that focuses on countering terror financing, terror and radicalization.