Religious Profiling In Kashmir Slammed As ‘Intimidation’; NC, PDP Demand Withdrawal Of Police Circulars

New Delhi: National Conference leader and Srinagar MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on Tuesday lashed out at the Jammu and Kashmir Police over its reported profiling of mosques, madrassas and Imams, describing the move as an infringement of the religious freedom guaranteed under the Constitution.

Speaking to Republic TV, Mehdi said the exercise amounted to intimidation and was politically motivated. “This is intimidation. Jammu and Kashmir has become a surveillance state. All intelligence wings are active and everything is under watch,” he said, questioning why an extra layer of surveillance was being imposed when multiple agencies were already monitoring activities across the region.

Mehdi alleged that the exercise was an assault on the freedom to practice religion and an attempt to make the state act as a controller of religious life, driven by the ideology of the RSS and BJP.

“Surveillance is clearly intended to curtail religious practice and control the functioning of religion. BJP has turned the state into an instrument to serve the agenda of a specific ideology,” MP Ruhullah said.

Meanwhile, PDP leader and MLA Pulwama, Waheed ur Rehman Parra also voiced opposition, insisting that such profiling was unnecessary as security agencies already had the required data.

“There is no need to conduct such an exercise. This is a BJP-driven agenda in Jammu and Kashmir,” Parra told Republic TV, warning that the move appeared aimed at further dividing society.

He demanded that the government withdraw the circulars immediately, stressing that the mistakes of a few individuals could not justify targeting an entire community.

“Selective profiling is being carried out, which is a serious concern. Data collection involved violates the right to privacy. If profiling is required, it should be limited to individuals with a tainted background, not everyone under the same radar,” he said.

Parra further informed that during the PDP’s tenure in power, no such exercise was initiated, adding, “This exercise is not in the interest of anyone.”

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