Shillong, May 19: Ashok Jain Raj Vaidya, father of a suspected terrorist of Hizb ut Tahrir (HuT), Mohammad Saleem (Saurabh), has alleged that an “agent” of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik converted his son.
Saleem was one of 16 people who were detained last week in Bhopal and Hyderabad on suspicion of preparing terrorist operations and having ties to the hardline group HuT.
Mansi, wife of Saurabh who also converted and adopted the name Rahila has however refuted her father-in-law’s assertion that Saurabh was “brainwashed and lured” into accepting Islam.
According to Saurabh’s father, he used to hang out with one Dr. Kamaal when they were both in college. The controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik’s alleged agent, Dr. Kamaal, was also detained.
The Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) detained Mohammed Saleem, for his alleged role in plotting terrorist acts and promoting religious conversions.
Rahila disputed the accusations made against Saurabh by stating, “It’s our constitutional right to practise any faith. If a person chooses to become religious without being forced, how can they be held accountable”?
Rahila also claimed that her in-laws had been lying about Saurabh planning to go to Syria as he did not have a passport.
She said that her in-laws were politicising the film The Kerala Story by doing this.
