SRINAGAR: The PDP chief and former J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti and Hurriyat Conference leader and cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq slammed the government decision on declaring Darul Uloom Jamia Siraj-ul-Uloom as an 'unlawful entity' under the UAPA over alleged links with the banned Jamaat-e-Islami as ‘flagrant injustice’.
Darul Uloom Jamia Siraj-ul-Uloom is a seminary in South Kashmir’s Shopian district.
“Every single day, the J&K government acts as a mute bystander and a timid enabler of vicious assaults on J&K's identity & dignity. Declaring Dar Ul Uloom Jamia Siraj Ul Uloom as an unlawful entity under UAPA is a flagrant injustice to the poor underprivileged sections of society,” Mehbooba posted on X.
She said this institution served as a beacon of quality education for students unable to afford expensive schooling. “It has produced reputed doctors and professionals who served this nation with dedication,” she said.
“Banning these altruistic institutions without any solid evidence of anti-national activity shows a deep-seated prejudice and ill intention,” she added.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Anshul Garg has invoked powers conferred under Section 8(1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, to notify Darul Uloom Jamia Siraj-u/-Uloom, Imam Sahib, Shopian, as an unlawful entity/place under UA(P)Act 1967.
The Divisional Commissioner's order stated that credible inputs and evidence on record further indicate sustained and covert linkages of the institution with Jamaat-e-Islami (a proscribed unlawful association banned by the Government of India), including continued de facto control by individuals affiliated with the said organisation and their placement in key administrative and academic positions.
It is the first instance of Darul Uloom being banned and declared as an “unlawful entity” by the administration in Jammu and Kashmir.
While slamming the decision,Mirwaiz, in a post on X, said, “First, we have multiple agencies chasing citizens under one pretext or another. Then, the properties of locals are confiscated. Students protesting alleged misconduct are booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA), sent to jails outside, ruining their lives and careers."
"A sitting MP is denied bail to visit his critically ill father, and now a leading educational institute with a rich legacy of serving the underprivileged and producing scholars, doctors, engineers, and professionals is declared unlawful under the stringent UAPA," Mirwaiz added.
“Can the LG administration tell people of Kashmir clearly how long they will continue this policy of harassment and disempowerment? And can the elected Govt tell us how long they will let this happen?” he asked.
Meanwhile, acting chairman of Darul Uloom Jamia Siraj-ul-Uloom Mohammad Shafi said the Darul Uloom has no link with the banned JeI.
“On March 31, we received a notice from the Divisional Commissioner’s office that allegations have been levelled against Darul Uloom. We gave an appropriate response to it. But they say they are not satisfied with the reply,” he said.
He urged the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, to constitute a team that can visit the place and assess the ground situation.
“We also request the government and the Chief Minister to look into the matter. The government should constitute a committee, and we will fully cooperate with any such committee,” he said.
On allegations that a few militants had studied at the Darul Uloom, he said, “It is not possible to monitor what a student does after leaving the institute. Many students who have studied in Darul Uloom have become doctors, police officers, and a few of them have even joined the army.
