<p class="title">Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik on Thursday accused the Indian government of engaging in a "witch-hunt" and putting pressure on the Interpol to issue a red corner notice against him.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In a statement issued here, Naik, who fled India in 2016, said he was aware of the "pressure the Indian government was applying on the Interpol" to issue a red corner notice against him.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It's part of an elaborate witch-hunt. But having verified with a few member countries, I can confirm that there is no red corner notice against me as of date," he claimed.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"One of the Indian newspapers seems to have jumped the gun and reported internal deliberations of the Indian government which, as a matter of fact, have been going on for over two years now," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Naik said the Interpol had already cancelled a red corner notice against him once.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"And it's been one-and-a-half years since the government submitted a charge sheet and started applying pressure on the Interpol. But as things stand, I have no reason to believe that Interpol will succumb to any kind of undue pressure," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Naik, said to be in Malaysia at present, has been under investigation since 2016, when the Centre banned his Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) for five years.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He is being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on several charges under the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).</p>.<p class="bodytext">The preacher, declared a proclaimed offender by a special NIA court here in June 2017, is accused of inciting youth to take up terror activities, giving hate speeches and promoting enmity between communities.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The NIA filed a charge sheet against Naik and others before a Mumbai court in October 2017.</p>
<p class="title">Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik on Thursday accused the Indian government of engaging in a "witch-hunt" and putting pressure on the Interpol to issue a red corner notice against him.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In a statement issued here, Naik, who fled India in 2016, said he was aware of the "pressure the Indian government was applying on the Interpol" to issue a red corner notice against him.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It's part of an elaborate witch-hunt. But having verified with a few member countries, I can confirm that there is no red corner notice against me as of date," he claimed.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"One of the Indian newspapers seems to have jumped the gun and reported internal deliberations of the Indian government which, as a matter of fact, have been going on for over two years now," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Naik said the Interpol had already cancelled a red corner notice against him once.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"And it's been one-and-a-half years since the government submitted a charge sheet and started applying pressure on the Interpol. But as things stand, I have no reason to believe that Interpol will succumb to any kind of undue pressure," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Naik, said to be in Malaysia at present, has been under investigation since 2016, when the Centre banned his Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) for five years.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He is being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on several charges under the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).</p>.<p class="bodytext">The preacher, declared a proclaimed offender by a special NIA court here in June 2017, is accused of inciting youth to take up terror activities, giving hate speeches and promoting enmity between communities.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The NIA filed a charge sheet against Naik and others before a Mumbai court in October 2017.</p>