Islamic preacher Zakir Naik was elected to Aligarh Muslim University's inner council in 2013, reported The Times of India. He served as a "representative of Muslim culture and learning" at the university for three years. The televangelist was reportedly part of the 191-member AMU Court, which is the supreme governing body that makes all the university's important decisions, including overseeing how the executive and academic councils function.

According to TV reports, Naik's term as a member of the council ended on June 11. During his three-year term, he neither attended any of the council's meetings, nor did he visit the university, reports said.

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The committee comprises the vice chancellor, pro-vice chancellor, representatives from various departments, principals of affiliated colleges, representatives of teachers' bodies and schools maintained by the varsity, non-teaching staff, donors, representatives from learned professions and representatives from Parliament, among others.

Muslim scholars criticised Naik's speeches, which are believed to have inspired one of the terrorists behind the July 2 attack at a cafe in Dhaka, in which 20 people were killed. "There is no message of social reform in Dr Naik’s speeches. Religious leaders should not undertake sermons that may divide society," said Shia scholar Maulana Syed M Asghar, who also teaches in AMU, Hindustan Times reported.

Sunni scholar Mufti Zahid Ali Khan said he does not agree with Naik’s speeches, which, he added, were inspired by ultra-conservative Salafism. Khan is a former chairman of the theology department at AMU.

Naik is banned in the United Kingdom, Malaysia and Canada for his "hate speeches". Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju had said on Wednesday that his speeches were a "matter of concern" and that "agencies were working on it".