Srinagar, Jan 13 (PTI) Authorities have started the process of profiling mosques, madrassas and people associated with their management in Kashmir following the busting of the ‘white collar’ terror module last year, officials said.
The move has drawn criticism from National Conference MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi and Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), an amalgam of religious bodies in Jammu and Kashmir, saying it is an infringement on constitutional freedom of religion.
A proforma has been given to village numberdars (village-level revenue department employees) for getting the details of mosques, madrassas, imams (prayer leaders), teachers and management committee members of these institutions, the officials said.
The focus of the enumeration drive is on the finances of mosques and madrassas, including the source of funds used for construction and meeting the day-to-day expenses, they said.
The officials said that besides the usual details, the teachers of madrassas and imams are also expected to provide details of their Aadhar card, bank account, property ownership, social media handles, passport, ATM card, ration card, driving licence, SIM cards and mobile phone model along with the IMEI number.
A senior official, who wished not to be named, said that among the objectives of the drive is to create a database of mosques and madrassas and the people associated with these.
“During the investigation into the ‘white collar’ terror module, which was busted in November last year, it came to light that some of the suspects were radicalised through madrassas or social media. The role of some imams like Moulvi Irfan has also put them under the scanner,” the official said.
The proforma also seeks details about the Muslim sect — Barelvi, Deobandi, Hanafi or Ahle Hadeeth — the mosque or the madrassa is following.
The officials said the rise of puritanical Islam, which abhors the Sufi version that is widely followed in Kashmir, is also seen as a factor in radicalisation of the youth in the valley.
The imams, teachers and management committee members have also been asked to provide details of any past involvement in terrorist or subversive activities, including details about any pending cases or convictions by a court of law.
Srinagar Lok Sabha MP, Mehdi, said the profiling of mosques, madrassas and imams by the police in Jammu and Kashmir is an infringement of the religious freedom guaranteed under the Constitution.
“There are already so many layers of surveillance, by CID, IB and the paramilitary forces. This intimidation and surveillance is an infringement of the right to practise religion guaranteed by the Constitution,” Mehdi told reporters here.
“They (police) already have details by virtue of Aadhaar and other documents. This profiling is an attempt to intimidate the specific class of people from a particular religion who are involved in preaching the religion,” he added.
He alleged that the profiling seems to be an exercise by the BJP and the RSS to control the mosques. “It looks like imams would be told to deliver sermons which are approved by the BJP or maybe sent by the RSS,” the MP said.
The MMU, the largest conglomerate of Islamic religious organisations in Jammu and Kashmir, expressed deep concern and raised questions about the ongoing police exercise in the valley seeking “extensive and intrusive information” regarding mosques, their management committees, imams and individuals associated with places of worship and even their family members.
“The MMU has learnt that detailed multi-page forms are being distributed by the police seeking highly personal and sensitive information, including private identification details, family particulars, financial information, phone details, digital and social media profiles, passport details, travel history and even phone IMEI details… Such an unprecedented and invasive data-collection exercise has caused widespread anxiety among religious institutions, imams, Khateebs and the public in general,” the MMU, headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, said in a statement.
The amalgam said this exercise is in complete violation of fundamental rights and the right to privacy and personal information even guaranteed under the Constitution.
“Mosques are sacred institutions meant for worship, guidance and community service, and their internal religious affairs cannot be subjected to arbitrary surveillance and intrusive scrutiny. The nature and depth of information being sought goes far beyond any routine administrative requirement raising serious questions of intent, reflecting an attempt to control and regulate religious institutions through coercive means and checks,” it added.
Jammu and Kashmir Police, with the help of UP Police and Haryana Police, busted a ‘white collar’ terror module in the first week of November last year. Nine people, including three doctors, were arrested and 2,900 kg of explosives seized with the uncovering of the module involving Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, spanning across Kashmir, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
Among those arrested were Dr Adeel Rather in Saharanpur, Dr Muzammil Ganaie in Faridabad and Dr Shaheen from Lucknow.
The 2,900 kg of explosive material included ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate and sulphur. Of this, 360 kg of inflammable material, suspected to be ammonium nitrate, and some arms and ammunition were recovered from Ganaie in a rented accommodation in Faridabad.
Another Kashmiri, Dr Umer Nabi, was driving the explosive-laden car that blew up outside the Red Fort Metro station in Delhi on November 10.
Ganaie, a teacher at the Al Falah University in Haryana’s Faridabad, was arrested after Jammu and Kashmir Police named him as a wanted person in a case involving putting up posters supporting Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)in Srinagar.
On October 19, multiple JeM posters were found pasted at different locations in the Bunpora Nowgam area of the city here, threatening and intimidating the police and security forces.
That was the starting point of the investigation, leading to the unravelling of the inter-state terror network.
The police said the investigation revealed a ‘white collar’ terror ecosystem, involving radicalised professionals and students in contact with foreign handlers, operating from Pakistan and other countries. PTI MIJ MNK MNK
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