Jammu and Kashmir: Youth Arrested For Hurting Religious Sentiments, Promoting Hate In Ramban

Jammu, August 2: A youth from Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district was arrested for hurting religious feelings and promoting hate, police sources said on Wednesday. The youth has been identified as Muthair Ahmad Dar, a resident of Mahool village in Banihal area.

“A complaint was lodged against the youth in Shergarhi police station in Srinagar under section 295 and 153-A of the IPC. He was arrested late Tuesday night after a video went viral in which he was seen and heard hurting the religious sentiments of people,” the sources said.

In the video, the youth claimed to have dreamt of revered Islamic jurist, saint and scholar, Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani, fondly known as ‘Peer Dastgeer’ in Kashmir.

The youth claimed that the saint had asked him that all the shrines in Kashmir of Sufi saints, including the most revered Hazratbal shrine, should be destroyed because Kashmiris were allegedly visiting these shrines more frequently, than going to mosques.

Historically, Kashmir has been the cradle of coexistence and tolerance because of the teachings of local saints and Sufis who cut across different religions. Many local Islamic scholars and preachers had questioned the veracity of the youth’s dream, who they said, was spreading a lie with malicious intent.