India should be proud of me: Zakir Naik

Under the scanner of the Indian security agencies Zakir Naik, on Friday, finally opened up on his stand on terrorism.

"I have never supported any terrorist or a terror outfit. As far as Osama Bin Laden is concern, since I don't know him I neither call him a saint nor I call him a terrorist. I condemn 9/11 attacks dont know if George Bush did it or Osama did it. The clip said to be me supporting Osama is doctored." he said through a video link in Mumbai's Mazgaon.

Zakir Naik

Similarly, a question was once asked to me on Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, my reply was the same, I don't know her, hence I don't call her a terrorist nor do I call her a saint," he said.

Naik stated that he has never been interrogated in past by the agencies. But agreed to having met several police officials in person, claiming he is a public figure and meet a thousand number of people a month who even shake hands with him and also click pictures with him.

"I meet thousands of people, how am I supposed to know each one of them," Naik added.

Speaking on the Indian security agencies' probe against him. Naik said, "Not a single authority has approached me in past 8-9 days and no one has also till now visited my Mumbai office. I have not faced any enquiry ever in my life. I am open for it."

On his controversial channel Peace TV, Naik (50) stated, "In 2008 I had applied for license to the Information & Broadcast Ministry but was not given the license. They should tell me the reason why I was not granted the license."

Since the controversy around him erupted, Naik has been also critisised by a few groups of Muslim community. On it, Naik stated, "People have misconceptions about me. I am not against any Muslim group, I am a messenger of peace."