Naik, a wiry man in his 50s, is an unlikely preacher of Islamic theology. He talks in English interspersed with Bombaiyya Hindi, wears a suit, tie, skullcap and several hats: That of a doctor, debater, preacher, televangelist, Salafist and a globally recognised Islamist scholar based in Mumbai.
Naik is caught in the middle of a controversy after investigations revealed his sermons and ideology inspired Rohan Imtiaz, one of the perpetrators of the recent terror strike in Dhaka.
Naik’s name has been linked also to the alleged Hyderabad module of Isis that was recently busted by the National Investigation Agency. According to the Economic Times, the alleged module’s head Mohammad Ibrahim Yazdani told the NIA during his interrogation that his inclination towards violent outfits working to establish Shariah law was also because of Naik.
This has led to calls for not only banning his sermons but also arresting Naik for allegedly inspiring terrorists. Naik is already persona non grata in several countries, including Britain, where his entry was banned in 2010 by the then home secretary Theresa May, the current front-runner for the prime minister's post since David Cameron’s resignation.
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