Mehdi slams profiling of IIOJK mosques, madrassas as religious rights abuse
Srinagar: Member parliament from National Conference Agha Ruhullah Mehdi has said that the ongoing profiling of mosques, madrassas and religious clerics by the Modi-led Indian regime in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir amounts to an infringement of the constitutional right to religious freedom.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the National Conference leader told reporters in Srinagar that multiple layers of surveillance already existed in the territory. “There are already so many layers of surveillance by Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Intelligence Bureau (IB) and paramilitary forces. This intimidation and surveillance is an infringement of the right to practice religion,” he said.
Authorities in occupied Jammu and Kashmir have launched mass profiling of mosques, madrassas and persons associated with their management. A detailed proforma has been circulated to village numberdars seeking particulars of mosques, religious seminaries, imams, teachers and management committee members.
Mehdi said the police and agencies already possessed exhaustive personal data through Aadhaar and other databases. “This fresh profiling is clearly an attempt to intimidate a specific class of people belonging to a particular religion who are engaged in preaching,” he remarked.
He further said that the exercise appeared aimed at controlling religious spaces. “It looks like imams would be told to deliver sermons approved by the BJP, or maybe sent by the RSS,” the NC leader said.
