Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday conducted multiple raids on bookstores in north Kashmir’s Handwara sub-district and seized literature of banned Jamaat-e-Islami.
The raids in Handwara were conducted a day after Police seized 668 books in Srinagar which were allegedly promoting the ideology of a banned organization.
A police statement said in a well-coordinated and legally supervised operation, Police in Handwara conducted stringent checks across various bookshops in Handwara to prevent the circulation of banned literature linked to Jamaat-e-Islami.
The checking was conducted as per the provisions of the law, with special emphasis on sensitive areas such as Kralgund, Villgam, Qalamabad, Handwara town, police said.
“During the intensive search, several bookshops were inspected, and multiple copies of banned books were recovered and subsequently seized. These books were found to be in violation of legal regulations, and strict action is being taken against those found in possession of such material,” police statement said.
The operation was aimed at curbing the spread of unlawful content that could disturb public order, it added.
Police said their teams carried out the operation meticulously and systematically to ensure compliance with the law.
“Bookshop owners were categorically warned against stocking, selling, or distributing banned literature. They were also sensitized about the legal implications of engaging in the circulation of such material and were directed to strictly adhere to the guidelines,” the statement said.
Police said further investigations into the matter are underway, and appropriate legal action will be taken against those found guilty of violating the law.
Jamaat was banned by the union government on February 28, 2019. Incidentally several Jamaat leaders had contested the Assembly polls last year as Independent candidates.
The police action has evoked strong reaction from the mainstream and separatist leaders.
The National Conference’s leader and MP Srinagar 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.
Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said seizing books is absurd.
“..Cracking down on Islamic literature and seizing them from bookstores while condemnable is ridiculous. Policing thought by seizing books is absurd to say the least, in the time of access to all information on virtual highways,” Mirwaiz said.
On Friday after the seizing of 668 books in Srinagar, People’s Democratic Party leader Iltija Mufti had termed the raids “vicious”.
UNI
