Jammu and Kashmir: FIR over ‘separatist’ content day after Iltija shares Geelani’s video on Urdu

SRINAGAR: A day after PDP’s Iltija Mufti posted on X a video featuring late separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani speaking about Urdu, J&K Police on Thursday registered an FIR over the circulation of content “promoting separatist ideology”.

The FIR was registered at Cyber PS against “certain individuals” was prompted by credible inputs about “circulation and dissemination of content across digital and social media platforms, promoting separatist ideology and propagating false information, with an intent to incite unlawful activities prejudicial to the peace, sovereignty and integrity of India”, a police statement said.

On Wednesday, Iltija posted the video, stating that she “may not concur with Geelani Sahab’s ideology but this old video of him stressing on the importance of Urdu very well makes sense in addition to other reasons. Worth a watch”. In the video, Geelani was heard saying that the youth were being deprived of the Urdu language. He said Urdu carries the region’s religious literature and a substantial body of religious literature “across India, Pakistan and J&K” has been preserved in it. He said being deprived of Urdu means being cut off from this literature. Geelani urged people to learn Urdu, claiming that efforts were underway to undermine the language.

Geelani died in September 2021.

A senior police officer said the matter came to their notice after the video shared by Iltija was amplified online.

“Preliminary inquiry indicates that the circulation of such content is a deliberate attempt to propagate separatist and secessionist narratives through digital platforms. Such activities have the potential to incite public disaffection, disturb public order, and undermine national integration,” the statement said.

Prima facie, the information discloses the commission of cognisable offences punishable under various sections of BNS, police said. The statement advised people to refrain from “creating, sharing, or circulating such unlawful content on social media and digital platforms”, warning of strict action against violators.

A senior officer said it was an open FIR and more names would be added as the probe proceeds.

On Tuesday, Iltija had taken to the streets to protest govt’s proposed move to remove Urdu as a mandatory language from J&K Revenue Service Recruitment Rules, calling it an attack on the region’s linguistic heritage.

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