Authorities cite security inputs and alleged recruitment links behind the UAPA action on a Shopian seminary, while the institution denies all charges and calls for an independent inquiry.
A view of Jamia Siraj Ul-Uloom in Shopian district, which has been declared an unlawful entity under the UAPA following allegations of links to terror recruitment. | IANS
Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have declared Jamia Siraj Ul-Uloom in Shopian district an unlawful entity under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, citing what officials described as a pattern of former students joining terrorist ranks.
The move follows an order issued on April 24 by Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Anshul Garg, based on a dossier submitted by Shopian Senior Superintendent of Police Mushtaq Ahmad Choudhary. Officials said the decision was taken after inputs linked at least 17 alumni of the institution to militant activity. All of them were later killed in separate encounters.
Advertisement
According to officials, the action aims to address concerns around alleged radicalisation and recruitment. “As many as 17 former students of the institution joined terrorist ranks and were later killed in separate encounters, indicating a consistent pattern of indoctrination and recruitment,” an official said, requesting anonymity.
Advertisement
The order also cited “credible input and evidence on record” suggesting sustained and covert links between the institution and Jamaat-e-Islami, which was banned by the Centre in 2019. It noted that individuals associated with the proscribed outfit allegedly held key administrative and academic positions at the seminary.
Authorities further claimed that the institution had, over time, created an environment that facilitated radicalisation, with several alumni later getting involved in terror activities. Inputs from security agencies, officials said, pointed to activities considered prejudicial to national security and the integrity of the state.
The management of Jamia Siraj Ul-Uloom has denied any association with banned groups. Chairman Mohammad Shafi Lone said the institution operates within the law and is not linked to Jamaat-e-Islami or any unlawful organisation.
“We are a law-abiding institute and have nothing to do with the banned Jamaat-e-Islami. There are 814 students currently enrolled in the school, which is affiliated with the Board of School Education and Kashmir School Federation,” Lone told reporters.
He added that the institution had received a show-cause notice last month and had submitted its response. “If the authorities still have any doubts, they should constitute a committee and investigate the allegations against our institution. If these allegations are found true, we will support the government in whatever action it decides to take,” he said.
Officials also alleged that members of Jamaat-e-Islami were continuing their activities through proxies to evade legal scrutiny. Inputs, they said, indicated the presence of a support ecosystem that enabled unlawful and anti-national activities.
There were also claims that relatives of slain militants were occupying key roles within the institution, though these assertions have been contested by the management.
Seminaries such as Jamia Siraj Ul-Uloom in Shopian have often been linked by authorities to the banned organisation, though such affiliations remain a matter of dispute.
Advertisement
