MP Aga Ruhullah denounces alleged surveillance of mosques as violation of religious freedom

STC NEWS DESK
SRINAGAR, JANUARY 13 (STC): Alleged surveillance of mosques and religious preachers in Kashmir reportedly by police and intelligence agencies amounts to a violation of the Constitution and an infringement on the freedom of religious practice, said National Conference MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi today in conversation with reporters. Ruhullah said the reported collection of details of mosque preachers and increased monitoring of religious spaces was not an isolated administrative measure but part of a broader ideological project.
“This is not a routine law-and-order issue. This is a project of a particular right-wing ideology which wants to control religions that do not conform to the RSS worldview,” he said.
He said the Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to freely practise and propagate religion without fear. “Surveillance, intimidation and attempts to control religious practice are a clear violation of constitutional rights,” the MP said.
Ruhullah questioned the need for what he described as “extra layers of surveillance”, arguing that the state already possesses extensive personal data of citizens. “You already have Aadhaar, you already have all details. If you single out people associated with a particular religion and impose additional scrutiny, it appears to be an attempt to intimidate them,” he said.
He warned that such monitoring could lead to direct interference in religious affairs. “Tomorrow, mosque preachers may be told what sermons to deliver and what not to deliver. That would mean the functioning of religion itself is being brought under control,” Ruhullah said.
The MP said security agencies including the police, CID, intelligence units and paramilitary forces already have defined surveillance mechanisms, and targeting religious institutions separately sends a “dangerous message”.
Referring briefly to international issues during his remarks, Ruhullah criticised what he called “double standards” by Western powers on democracy and human rights, particularly in the context of Iran and Gaza, saying external interference in internal matters of sovereign nations was unjustified.
He also raised local civic concerns, particularly the long-pending issue of garbage dumping on the outskirts of Srinagar. Ruhullah said dumping waste in the middle of a populated area and near a water body violated human dignity and environmental laws.
“This garbage dump has grown into a mountain over the years. It is against human rights and against the law,” he said, adding that he would seek answers from the elected government and the administration on plans for waste management, relocation of the dumping site and restoration of the affected water body.
Ruhullah said he was willing to engage with authorities and residents to resolve the issue.
(Straight Talk Communications)