Facing criticism, Diggiraja says ban all hate speech

Facing criticism about his rapport with Islamic preacher of violence, Dr Zakir Naik, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Thursday tried to generalise and said all provocative speeches by Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians should be banned. "If the speeches are to be banned...all provocative speeches on religion by Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians should be banned," Singh told media. He said if the Government of India or the Government of Bangladesh had any evidence against Dr Zakir Naik's involvement in the ISIS, they should take action against him. Issuing a clarification, Singh claimed he spoke against religious fundamentalism and terrorism in his speech at the conference organised by Dr Zakir Naik, adding that he had also appealed for communal harmony. "The conference was for communal harmony and against terrorism. It was also to explain that Islam is against innocents being killed," he added. Dr Naik is in the midst of a controversy after his 'hate speech' was reported to have inspired one of the five Bangladeshi militants involved in the July 1 terror attack on an upscale cafe in Dhaka's Gulshan suburb. A video shows Digvijay Singh saying that people like Zakir Naik can bridge the gap between Hindus and Muslims. "Zakir should travel all over India. I am very happy that he is spreading the message of peace," he said. "We need your message to reach the country," Singh had told Dr Zakir Naik back then. Meanwhile, the office-bearers of Dr Naik's organization ' Islamic Research Foundation' in Mumbai's Dongri are being questioned by a team of the Mumbai Police. Dr Zakir Naik is reportedly in Saudi Arabia for receiving an award from the Saud government and would return to India on July 11. He will be addressing a press conference the following day to respond to the allegations against him for which he had hired a Mumbai-based PR agency.