Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 13: In response to Aga Ruhullah’s recent claim that surveillance of mosques undermines religious freedom, prominent security analyst Brig Anil Gupta, with extensive experience in regional security and counter-terrorism, strongly refutes this assertion.
In a statement issued here, today he said “Religious freedom is a cornerstone of our democracy, but it cannot be invoked as a shield for communal or anti-national activities conducted from places of worship”.
Brig Gupta said History bears stark testimony to the misuse of mosques in Jammu & Kashmir. In the early 1990s, mosques served as platforms for venomous rhetoric against “Kafirs,” playing a pivotal role in the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley `Raliv, Chaliv ya Galiv’ – Convert, Leave or Die- was often heard from minarets of Jama Masjid. From the ramparts of Masjid-e-Naqshbandi in Habba Kadal , threats were issued demanding that Kashmiri Pandits leave their daughters and wives behind, or flee Kashmir entirely. Such announcements fuelled targeted hounding and displacement.
He said this pattern persisted subsequently. Mosques were used to make announcements for disruptions to anti-terror operations, urging crowds to gather near encounter sites, forcing security forces to call off missions amid stone-pelting assaults. In 2016, during Burhan Wani encounter, mosques in Pulwama and Shopian announced gatherings to disrupt operations and drawing stone-pelting mobs. Almost similar activity was reported in 2022 operations in Rajouri on the other side of Pir Panjal. Fatwas have been issued against civilians aiding the Army or police. Friday congregations too often devolved into anti-national protests, amplifying separatist narratives eulogizing radical Islamic terror groups like ISIS.
Aga Ruhullah appears unaware of standard administrative and governance protocols. Surveillance of potential trouble spots is a routine, lawful practice worldwide. When intelligence radars detect a blip-such as suspicious gatherings or radical preaching-it escalates to close monitoring and data collection to pre-empt threats. This is not targeted persecution but proactive defence of the state, Brig Gupta said.
“Instead of urging mosque custodians to enforce discipline-ensuring no anti-national activities, communal incitement, or shelter before challenging lawful security measures. Your rhetoric aids disruptors, not devotees”, Brig Gupta told Aga Ruhullah.
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