Jammu and Kashmir: Two clerics, 5 Jamaat activists held, booked under PSA

Officials said two prominent religious clerics from south Kashmir — Mushtaq Ahmad Veeri and Abdul Rashid Dawoodi — were called to the police stations and detained. Officials said the clerics were later booked under the PSA and could be shifted to jails outside Kashmir valley.

Besides the two religious preachers, the police have detained five alleged activists of JeI, a socio-religious party banned in February 2019. (Representational image/File)

In a fresh spate of arrests, the Jammu and Kashmir government has detained and slapped the controversial Public Safety Act (PSA) against two prominent religious clerics and five alleged activists of banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI).

The civil administration or the police, however, did not give any reason for booking the clerics and activists under the PSA. Sources said they were booked for their religious sermons that the government thinks are “intolerable”. “The government thinks that there sermons could radicalise people and that is the reason for their arrest,” said a police officer.

Officials said two prominent religious clerics from south Kashmir — Mushtaq Ahmad Veeri and Abdul Rashid Dawoodi — were called to the police stations and detained. Officials said the clerics were later booked under the PSA and could be shifted to jails outside Kashmir valley.

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While Veeri is a prominent religious scholar belonging to the Ahli-Hadith school, Dawoodi is a prominent Barelvi religious cleric from south Kashmir’s Kulgam.

Veeri was arrested during the mass crackdown and booked under the PSA in 2019 as well when the Centre abrogated the special status of J&K.

Besides the two religious preachers, the police have detained five alleged activists of JeI, a socio-religious party banned in February 2019.

A senior police officer confirmed to The Indian Express that the two religious preachers and five activists were booked under the PSA.

Bashaarat Masood

Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter. ... Read More

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