india

Updated: Mar 02, 2019 23:05 IST

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti alleged on Saturday that the Centre’s ban on the Jammu and Kashmir chapter of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) reeked of “political revenge”, and warned that it could have “dangerous consequences”.

“Currently, there is an atmosphere of revenge against Kashmiris. Youths are being arrested and particularly JeI, which is a social and political organisation, is being subjected to political revenge,” she claimed, as scores of PDP activists hit the roads in Srinagar shouting slogans of “Stop state terrorism”.

Mehbooba’s remarks come at a time authorities in Kashmir have started sealing properties associated with the Jamaat, a socio-religious organisation, as well as the residences of some of its activists.

There is also much anxiety among thousands of parents and students of Jamaat-run schools that the educational institutions will be sealed as well. According to unofficial estimates, there are around 300 schools run by the Jamaat that have an estimated 100,000 students on the rolls.

The Union home ministry on Thursday banned the J&K chapter of the JeI for five years for allegedly indulging in activities “prejudicial to internal security and public order” and said the group had the potential of “disrupting the unity and integrity” of the country. Over the past week, the Jammu and Kashmir police have detained at least 400-500 top Jamaat leaders.

Mehbooba said the Jamaat, which boasts a huge following, had for years been “doing social work, helping the poor and running schools” in Kashmir. “It is not only today but lakhs of people in villages are associated with JeI. They can’t jail the JeI, it is an ideology,” she said.

She questioned why no action was taken against organisations that lynched people on the kind of meat they ate.

“There has been a BJP government for the past four and a half years and suddenly this crackdown on Jamaat and [National Investigation Agency action on] Mirwaiz [Umar Farooq] — this seems revenge...,” she said.

Rafiq Ahmad, a senior teacher of a Jamaat-run school, said their curriculum was the same as that of any other school in the Valley.

Tasaduq Hussain Mir, additional commissioner, Kashmir, declined comment on Jamaat-run schools. Government spokesman Rohit Kansal, who is principal secretary, planning, development and monitoring, refused to take calls despite repeated attempts. In a statement, Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir said the allegations leveled against it were “concocted and baseless” and it was considering moving court against the ban