SRINAGAR: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday criticised the monitoring of Imams and mosque clerics in Jammu and Kashmir, describing it as a deliberate attempt to alienate Muslims from their faith.
Speaking to reporters, Mufti questioned why mosques were being singled out, urging authorities to inspect other religious institutions first. “If the government genuinely wishes to monitor religious leaders, why not begin with temples? Check which priest serves where, who enters inner sanctums, and the payments involved,” she said. She added that mosques in JK do not follow such practices and that police and security agencies already have complete records of land holdings and other relevant information.
Mufti alleged that the collection of Aadhaar details, photographs, and profiles of Imams amounts to profiling intended to create fear. “Our mosques and Imams are patriotic, yet they are being treated as Over Ground Workers (OGWs),” she said, warning that such targeting could spread nationally. She also questioned whether mosques would now be treated as crime scenes, while other religious institutions such as temples, gurudwaras, or churches remained exempt.
The PDP leader further highlighted discriminatory practices in some temples where Dalits are denied entry, stressing that such irregularities do not exist in mosques. She also criticised the previous Omar Abdullah-led National Conference government for remaining silent on the matter.
According to a recent report by The Indian Express, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have begun a wide-scale data collection exercise covering mosques across the Kashmir Valley and individuals associated with them.
