The Jammu and Kashmir Police’s reported move to profile Kashmir’s mosques, its ideology and the caretakers on Tuesday (January 13, 2026) evoked sharp criticism from political and Muslim religious leaders, who described it as “intrusive” and “threatening”.
A spokesperson for the Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), a conglomerate of Islamic religious organisations in J&K, described the police profiling as “intrusive”. “It seeks information regarding mosques, their management committees, Imams, Khatibs and individuals associated with places of worship and even their family members,” the MMU, headed by Kashmir chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, said.
According to the MMU, the police were distributing multi-page forms and sought “highly personal and sensitive information”.
“These details, including private identification details, family particulars, financial information, phone details, digital and social media profiles, passport details, travel history and even Phone IMEI details other personal data of all those connected with running and management of mosques,” the MMU said.
The MMU said the mosque’s ideological sect, like Barelvi, Hanafi, Deobandi or Ahle-Hadith, was also being sought. “Such an unprecedented and invasive data collection exercise has caused widespread anxiety among religious institutions, Imams, Khateebs and the public in general,” the MMU said.
