‘Modi did not request for Zakir to be extradited’

PUTRAJAYA:

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad maintained that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not make any extradition request for controversial preacher Dr Zakir Naik during their meeting in Russia.

“I met (India Prime Minister Narendra) Modi.

“He did not raise the issue (requesting for Zakir’s extradition).

“He did mention about Zakir Naik. But he didn’t ask for Zakir to be sent to India,” he said after the launch of the Foreign Policy Framework of the New Malaysia here.

Dr Mahathir met his Indian counterpart in Russia earlier this month.

He said this in response to a news report that the Indian government had challenged Dr Mahathir’s claim that no extradition request was made for the said preacher.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said the issue was brought up during Dr Mahathir’s meeting with Modi in Vladivostok on Sept 5.

The Indian Express quoted Jaishankar as saying that India had requested Zakir’s extradition from Malaysia in January.

Zakir, who has a permanent resident status in Malaysia, is wanted by Indian authorities since 2016 for alleged money laundering and inciting extremism through hate speeches.

In Malaysia, Zakir was reported to have triggered a furore through his alleged remarks about Indians and Chinese in the country, and the police had barred him from speaking in public.

Zakir had since apologised, but stressed that he was a victim of a vilification campaign.