Mangaluru : Islamic preacher Zakir Naik has been barred from visiting Mangaluru and addressing any pubic meeting or function between December 31, 2015 and January 6, 2015.

Dr. Naik, a well-known Islamic orator and founder of Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation, was scheduled to attend a convention of the South Karnataka Salafi Movement to be held in the city on January 3. District in-charge Minister B. Ramanath Rai had chaired a preparatory meeting held by the organisers recently to welcome Dr. Naik.

In a press release here, Mangaluru City Police Commissioner S. Murugan said on Sunday that he was passing orders prohibiting Dr. Naik’s entry to the city for a period of seven days from December 31.

Mr. Murugan told The Hindu that the order was passed in the interest of maintaining law and order in Mangaluru and Dakshina Kannada, which was recovering from communal tension. He said that the police have found Dr. Naik to be a provocative speaker.