Police deployed outside Islamic preacher Zakir Naik's office in Mumbai
Mumbai Police said there were no instructions from the state or central government and that it was only a precautionary measure to avoid any untoward incident.
Mumbai Police on Thursday deployed security personnel outside the office of Islamic preacher Zakir Naik in Dongri, reported PTI. According to a police officer, it was a precautionary measure after reports claimed that Naik's "hate speech" inspired one of the militants who carried out an attack at a Dhaka restaurant last week.
"We have neither received any threat perception nor particular instructions from the state or Central government. We have deployed our forces outside the office of Islamic Research Foundation only as a precautionary measure to avoid any untoward incident," said an officer.
On Wednesday, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said, "Zakir Naik's speech is a matter of concern for us. Our agencies are working on this." The Shiv Sena also called for a ban on Naik and his Islamic Research Foundation. "People whose language propagates violence against nation's unity should be banned," Shiv Sena lawmaker Arvind Sawant had said.
In his lecture aired on international Islamic channel Peace TV, Naik had allegedly urged all Muslims to be terrorists. According to Bangladeshi newspaper Daily Star, militant Rohan Imtiaz ran a propaganda on Facebook last year quoting Naik, who is banned in the United Kingdom, Malaysia and Canada for his "hate speeches".