Six locals held for inciting sectarian unrest in Srinagar: J&K Police

J&K Police arrest six for inciting sectarian unrest in Srinagar with derogatory remarks, sparking tensions in Kashmir Valley.

The J&K Police on Tuesday (January 14, 2024) said six locals had been arrested in Srinagar for inciting sectarian unrest with “derogatory remarks”. The move came in the wake of growing sectarian tensions in the Kashmir Valley over a video “containing derogatory remarks” against Islamic caliphs.

“Six miscreants have been charged under Sections 126 and 170 of the BNSS [Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita] and have been detained at the Central Jail, Srinagar, for inciting sectarian unrest through derogatory remarks,” a police spokesperson said.

The police warned against “engaging in similar unlawful activities, including posting or sharing sectarian content with the intent to create division or disturb public harmony”. “They will meet the same fate,” the police said.

The police action followed a video of a religious gathering where a person made “derogatory remarks” against caliphs from a particular sect, and the video was posted on social media platforms. It triggered sharp reactions from other sects in the Valley, and police action was sought against those behind the viral video online. 

Top Shia and Sunni organisations have urged locals to maintain calm. A spokesperson of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), an amalgam of Muslim religious bodies, expressed “grave concern over attempts to disrupt communal harmony and brotherhood in the region by stoking sectarian tensions”. 

“The MMU strongly condemns such actions and calls upon members of all sects to exercise wisdom, restraint, and mutual respect in their speech and actions. Islam teaches us to maintain unity and avoid actions that sow discord among Muslims. We urge religious scholars and leaders across all sects to guide their followers towards preserving the sanctity of the faith and upholding the values of brotherhood,” the spokesperson said.

The MMU urged the authorities to take “immediate and appropriate action against those responsible for making such inflammatory remarks” and “prevent further disruption of peace and communal harmony in the region”. It also called upon followers to refrain from posting, sharing or amplifying content that promotes sectarian hatred or disrupts unity.