SRINAGAR, Feb 14 – Police in Jammu and Kashmir seized 668 books on Friday, alleging they promoted the ideology of a banned organisation, officials said.
A police spokesperson, without naming the organisation, said authorities acted on “credible intelligence regarding the clandestine sale and distribution of literature” linked to a proscribed group. A search operation by Srinagar police led to the seizure, the spokesperson added.
A publishing house in Srinagar’s Maisuma area was also raided as part of the operation, official sources said, according to The Hindu. The seized books included Islamic literature from various schools of thought, including works by Abul Ala Maududi, a noted twentieth-century Islamic scholar and founder of Jamaat-e-Islami, one of the largest religious organisations in the Indian subcontinent.
Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir was declared an “unlawful association” by the Indian government on Feb. 28, 2019, months before the region’s autonomy was revoked in August that year. Dozens of its leaders and activists were arrested, and in February last year, the ban was extended for five more years.
Even though several Jamaat-e-Islami members contested the recent assembly elections in Kashmir, authorities have shown no leniency towards its cadres.
Legal action has been initiated under Section 126 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNSS), police said.
The seizure comes amid ongoing security measures in the region, where authorities continue to monitor activities linked to banned organisations.
The Chenab Times News Desk