Kashmir Pen News Desk
Srinagar, Jan 13: National Conference MP from Srinagar, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, on Tuesday alleged that increased surveillance of mosques and religious preachers in Kashmir by security and intelligence agencies amounted to a violation of constitutional guarantees on religious freedom.
Speaking to reporters, Ruhullah said reports about collection of personal details of mosque preachers and heightened monitoring of religious spaces were not “routine administrative exercises” but reflected a broader ideological push.
“This is not a law-and-order issue. This is a project of a particular right-wing ideology that wants to control religions that do not conform to the RSS worldview,” he said.
He argued that the Constitution ensures every citizen the right to freely practice and propagate religion without intimidation. “Surveillance and attempts to regulate religious practice clearly violate constitutional rights,” the MP asserted.
Ruhullah questioned the need for what he described as “extra layers of scrutiny” when the state already possesses extensive personal and biometric data. “You already have Aadhaar and all other details. If you single out a community for additional surveillance, it becomes intimidation,” he said.
He cautioned that such monitoring could evolve into direct interference in religious affairs. “Tomorrow, mosque preachers may be instructed on what to preach and what not to. That would mean control over the functioning of religion itself,” he remarked.
Ruhullah said various security agencies already have well-defined surveillance mechanisms, and targeting religious institutions separately sends a “dangerous message”.
The MP also touched upon international issues, criticising what he called Western “double standards” on democracy and human rights, particularly with regard to Iran and Gaza, and said external interference in sovereign countries was unjustified.
Turning to local civic concerns, Ruhullah raised the long-pending issue of garbage dumping on the outskirts of Srinagar, calling the site a violation of human dignity and environmental laws. “This garbage dump has grown into a mountain. It is against human rights and against the law,” he said.
He added that he would seek answers from the elected government and administration on waste management plans, relocation of the dumping site, and restoration of the damaged water body, expressing willingness to engage with both authorities and residents to resolve the matter.
There was no immediate response from the administration to the MP’s allegations.
