Controversial preacher Zakir Naik stated in an interview that he will not return to India as long as Narendra Modi’s BJP remains in power, fearing he would not receive a fair trial.
PETALING JAYA: Controversial preacher Zakir Naik has said he will not return to India as long as Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) remains in power, claiming he fears he would not be allowed to leave the country if he returned.
Naik made the remarks during a meeting with a journalist from Republic Media Network in Putrajaya on Oct 13.
The interview was published by the network’s Republic World platform on Oct 21 and was presented as an undercover sting operation.
“If I go before that, when BJP is still there, I will not be able to come out again,” he was quoted as saying.
During the interview, Naik discussed the criminal allegations against him, criticised the Modi administration and expressed his belief that the BJP could lose power before India’s next general election, expected in 2029.
Naik, who has Malaysian permanent resident status, remains wanted by Indian authorities over allegations including money laundering and hate speech.
He has consistently denied the allegations, saying there is no evidence to support them.
“They are just allegations. There is no proof,” he said.
Naik also claimed that he was prepared to give evidence in an Indian court through a video link, but alleged that authorities wanted him to appear in person.
“If I go in person, I will not be able to come out again. I will just remain inside. They will not give me a fair trial,” he said.
His claims regarding how he would be treated if he returned to India were not independently established in the interview.
On Indian politics, Naik predicted that growing public dissatisfaction could lead to the BJP losing power before the next general election.
“I don’t think the BJP will survive until the next election. Even if it survives, it will not win, Insha-Allah,” he was quoted as saying by Republic World.
He also suggested that the government could collapse as early as next year.
When asked about the possibility of the opposition Congress party returning to power, Naik said he would prefer it over the BJP, although he questioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s maturity and political experience.
Nevertheless, he described Gandhi as a better option than Modi.
“He is better than Modi. He is honest, not corrupt and does not lie,” he said.
Naik also criticised India’s economic situation, citing unemployment and the depreciation of the rupee as indicators of the challenges facing the country.
The interview also touched on protests over allegations of manipulation of electoral rolls and calls for the resignation of India’s chief election commissioner.
Republic World further connected the discussion to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a satirical political movement associated with youth-led protests against the government.
However, the published interview did not establish that Naik had any role in organising or coordinating the demonstrations.
Towards the end of the conversation, Naik said he was scheduled to travel to Bangladesh to deliver a lecture.
Republic World described its encounter with Naik as a sting operation. However, the published footage did not establish whether he was aware that the person speaking to him was a journalist carrying out an undercover assignment.
Naik’s continued presence in Malaysia has been a longstanding point of contention in relations between Kuala Lumpur and New Delhi.
He came to Malaysia amid increasing scrutiny of his activities in India. Indian authorities declared his Islamic Research Foundation an unlawful association in 2016, while Indian agencies subsequently pursued allegations involving money laundering and other offences.
Malaysia granted Naik permanent resident status in 2015.
In 2018, then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad defended Malaysia’s decision not to extradite Naik, saying the country was entitled to reject India’s request.
The government’s position at the time was that Naik could remain in Malaysia as long as he did not cause problems in the country.
The issue resurfaced last month after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim confirmed that he had discussed Naik’s case with Indian representatives during his visit to New Delhi.
Speaking to NDTV, Anwar said the discussions were being kept private in the interests of both countries and as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral relations.
He said any decision relating to India’s extradition request would have to be handled carefully, taking into account the rule of law as well as Malaysia-India relations.
Anwar did not announce any decision to extradite Naik, leaving the matter unresolved.
Naik’s latest comments indicate that he does not intend to return to India voluntarily while the BJP remains in government.