Omar Abdullah questions need to profile mosques, madrassas in Jammu and Kashmir

Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday questioned the necessity of the police-led exercise to profile mosques, madrassas and their management in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the move was unwarranted and had raised serious concerns about the intent behind it.

Speaking during the discussion on the vote of thanks to the Lieutenant Governor’s address in the Assembly, Abdullah said surveying mosque imams was “completely inappropriate” and demanded clarity from the Union government on why such an exercise was being undertaken. “Why is there a need to poll mosque imams? This only creates fear and mistrust,” he said.

The profiling drive was initiated last month following the busting of a “white-collar” terror module last October. While authorities have projected the exercise as a security measure, Abdullah cautioned against approaches that, he said, blurred the line between counter-terror efforts and routine religious activity.

The Chief Minister also flagged reports of journalists being summoned for questioning over reportage and commentary on the issue, calling it a troubling development. Referring to constitutional guarantees, he said summoning writers or reporters over opinions would only deepen apprehensions and have a chilling effect on free expression.

In January, Jammu and Kashmir Police began collecting details of mosques, madrassas and their management committees across the Valley. The exercise drew criticism after journalists in Srinagar reported being questioned about their coverage.

While several Muslim-majority countries have formal systems for mosque registration, these are typically handled through civil or religious bodies. In countries such as Turkey and Egypt, mosques function under statutory religious authorities with defined administrative oversight, a distinction that critics say is missing in the current exercise in Kashmir.

Abdullah’s remarks come amid a wider debate in the Union Territory over balancing security concerns with civil liberties, particularly where state action intersects with religious institutions and the media.