Bengaluru, 3 Sept 

Home Minister G Parameshwara reminded the Joint Milad Committee, which will be hosting the International Milad-un-Nabi Conference in the City on 5 September, that foreigners are prohibited from participating in or preaching at religious events in India.

According to the organisers, thousands of people are likely to participate in the event scheduled to take place at the Palace Grounds here.

The organisers have invited Sufi saint Habeeb Umar Bin Hafeez of Yemen, along with Grand Mufti of India Shaikh Abubacker Ahmed Musliyar.

The Minister said police would monitor the programme to ensure compliance of the law.

“We (police) have brought to the notice of the organisers who organised the event that there is no scope in the Indian laws for foreigners to preach or take part in the religious events...” Parameshwara said.

Police have instructed the organisers not to invite foreign religious scholars, he said.  There is a Foreign Regional Registration Office (FRRO) that will be tracking the event, the Minister added.

Preachers from several Arab nations, such as Saudi Arabia, are known to frequent the event.