The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday conducted searches in Srinagar and seized over 600 books that authorities said were promoting the “ideology of a banned organisation”. Though the police did not clarify who authored the books or named the banned organisation, sources in the police told The Indian Express that the books pertained to “Jamat-affiliated” ideology. “Based on credible intelligence regarding the clandestine sale and distribution of literature promoting the ideology of a banned organisation, police conducted a search in Srinagar, leading to the seizure of 668 books,” Srinagar police said in a statement on Friday. Police also said legal action had been initiated under Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita’s section 126, which allows for action against people who might disturb public peace. J-K political parties criticised the police action. The National Conference’s Srinagar MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi said that first, authorities barred Shab-e-Barat prayers at Jamia Masjid and sealed the masjid itself. “If that wasn’t enough, there are reports of police seizing literature by Maulana Maududi. Will the state now dictate what Kashmiris read, learn, and believe? This is an unacceptable overreach. If such an order exists, it must be revoked immediately. The state must stop harassing Kashmiris and meddling in their religious affairs, because the cost of this reckless exercise will be heavy,” he said. People’s Democratic Party leader Iltija Mufti termed the raids “vicious”. “Under the garb of security, all sorts of Kafkaesque oppressive measures are being unleashed on Kashmiris. Now, even the freedom to read and consume information is being violated. Are we merely sheep or cattle that need to be herded?” She said that “the elephant in the room, vis-a-vis these books raids, is that all of the 600 books seized have been authored by Abul Aala Maududi, a renowned Islamic scholar and more importantly the founder of Jamaat-e-Islami – a religious organisation that has done commendable social work in Kashmir and also participated in the recently held state elections.” Representatives of the Jamat had participated in the UT’s first Assembly elections held in October, ostensibly seeking to revoke the ban against the organisation. However, the candidates failed to secure a win in the seats they contested.
