If religious places are to be profiled, then start with temples: Mehbooba Mufti

SRINAGAR: Former J&K chief minister and PDP Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday denounced what she called “profiling of mosques” by police, saying it amounted to interference in religious affairs and was an attempt to humiliate Kashmiri Muslims. It’s Hindu temples that needed to be “profiled”, she said.

“If religious places are to be profiled, then start with temples. Identify who the priest is, whether he is a Dalit or a Brahmin, and how much money is charged for temple entry. None of this happens in our mosques,” Mehbooba said.

Displaying a four-page police form, she said information about lands and management of mosques was already with the administration, but police were now seeking photographs, Aadhaar numbers and other personal details of imams, mosque management members and worshippers. “This kind of intense profiling is meant to push Kashmiri Muslims away from their religion,” the PDP chief said. “How much more you humiliate Kashmiri Muslims?”

She also criticised CM Omar Abdullah for not speaking out on the issue. “Even if the police are not under him, he still has a voice and tongue,” she said.

Alleging that “mosques are being treated like crime scenes”, Mehbooba said: “Will you do this with temples, gurdwaras or churches? This is not happening anywhere else in the country.”

Accusing the govt of targeting Muslim institutions, she warned that the mosque-profiling exercise could be extended across the country. “What does the govt have to do with whether someone is Shia, Sunni or Barelvi? Mosques are open to all, unlike many temples where Dalits and women are barred,” she said.