Srinagar, Jan 14 ; People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday condemned the surveillance of Imams and Masjid Molvis as a direct interference aimed at distancing Muslims from their faith.
Speaking with News Agency Kashmir News Service (KNS), Mufti questioned the targeting of Muslims and urged authorities to scrutinise other religious institutions first. “If the government truly wants to monitor religious leaders, why not start with temples? Find out which priest serves in which temple, who can enter the inner sanctums, and how much money is paid for access,” she said. “Our mosques have no such practices. Police and security agencies in Jammu and Kashmir already possess complete details of land holdings and other information.”
Mufti alleged that collecting Aadhaar cards, photos, and profiles of Imams anew is a deliberate effort to alienate Muslims from their religion and instil fear. “Mosques and Imams are already patriotic, yet they are being profiled as if they were Over Ground Workers (OGWs),” she added.
“OGWs are summoned to police stations—will mosques now be treated as crime scenes? Will temples, Gurudwaras, or churches face the same? This isn’t happening anywhere else in the country, only here. I fear this targeting of mosques in Jammu and Kashmir will soon spread across the nation.”
Mehbooba Mufti further criticised states, temples where Dalits are denied entry, demanding accountability for their funding sources and the bribes paid for darshan. “Such practices don’t exist in our mosques,” she said.
She also slammed Chief Minister Omar Abdullah-led National Conference government for remaining silent on the issue. (KNS)
