Indian police seize hundreds of religious books in Srinagar
Srinagar: Indian police have seized hundreds of religious books during a search operation in Srinagar district of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, further tightening their grip on the territory’s religious institutions and their literature.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the confiscated books were linked to the Jamaat-e-Islami group and included works by Syed Abul Ala Maududi, a noted Islamic scholar and founder of Jamaat-e-Islami, and Syed Ali Gilani, late veteran pro-freedom leader.
Indian officials claimed that the seizure was part of an effort to curb the clandestine sale and distribution of literature promoting the ideology of banned organizations. They said the police operation resulted in the confiscation of 668 books. The authorities further claimed that the operation aimed to suppress any material that could incite unrest.
However, critics see the targeting of religious literature as an attack on Kashmiris’ religious and cultural heritage. They argue that the move to censor religious literature aligns with the Modi government’s broader agenda to impose a Hindutva ideology and suppress the rights of Muslims, especially in IIOJK.
