Vladivostok: In a sign that Narendra Modi would not let any terrorist roam free anywhere in the world, he discussed the extradition of the controversial Islam preacher, Zakir Naik, with the Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Bin Mohamad, at the sidelines of the East Economic Forum (EEF).
Foreign Secretary of India, Vijay Gokhale said, “PM Modi raised the issue of Zakir Naik and both the parties decided that the officials will keep in touch regarding it and its an important issue for New Delhi.”
Though India had earlier sent an extradition request to Malaysia regarding Zakir Nair, no actions were initiated by the Malaysian authorities.
Zakir Naik is wanted in India for the hate speeches he made against Hinduism and other religions. India revoked his passport in 2017 and declared him an offender. Since then, Malaysia gave him residence in the country by giving him permanent residence.
However, Zakir Naik is creating headaches for his host country also. His hate speeches against the minority Hindus in Malaysia has attracted lot of criticism against him. Many Malaysians are asking if their country should give residence to someone who spoke hatred against the minorities of the country and try to divide the citizens.
Modi and Mahathir Bin Mohamad also discussed about the Kashmir issue. Modi explained to his counterpart about the rationale behind the bifurcation of the state and the abrogation of Article 370. He said the move will bring in development and effective governance to the region.
Issue of terrorism were also raised in their meeting.