J&K: Police Book Three After Communal Video Results in Disharmony in Chenab Valley

Srinagar: Tensions mounted in the Chenab valley of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir after a group of people made remarks considered to be blasphemous by members of the Muslim community, a video of which was circulated on social media. The police have since registered a case against the three accused.

One of the accused, reportedly identified as Satpal Singh, had made derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad, and a video of the incident was shared on social media, triggering communal disharmony online. Following the incident, various groups like Anjuman Islamia Bhaderwah, Jamia Masjid Committee in Thathri and Islami Markazi Majlis-e-Shoura in Kishtwar, called for a shutdown and civil curfew to be observed against the “blasphemy”.

The call for a shutdown was made in the Reasi district of Jammu division on Monday. In areas of Kishtwar, a curfew was imposed to thwart a communal flare-up. All shops and business establishments in these areas were shut, as security measures were beefed up in view of the increasing tension between members of the two communities.

Soon after the video received flak online, protests erupted across the region and scores of rallies were carried out by people who were enraged by the provocation in different parts of Doda, Kishtwar, Gool Gulabgarh, Ramban and Reasi.

The protesters demanded strict action against the three accused for making “contemptuous remarks” against the Prophet, considered a red line by Muslims community across the world.

Mukesh Singh, the Inspector General of Police, Jammu Zone, told NewsClick that the police has registered a case against the three accused – of whom two have been detained – including the two persons in the video and the third who shot the video. “The guy who made this video is not a registered fellow (reporter). He made the video and put it up on the internet without considering its communal repercussions. Otherwise, there has been no law and order situation in the ten districts of Jammu,” he said.

The trio has been booked by the police on charges of disrupting communal disharmony. “The accused have been booked under Sections 153 and 295 A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). An accused belongs to an outfit called the Rashtriya Suraksha Dal – an unknown entity,” the IGP said.

In his video statement, the IGP also warned that those who shared the inflammatory video further will also be booked for spreading communal disharmony.

“We demand the Central and UT administration that the guru involved in this incident be booked and hanged for his crime,” a Kishtwar-based religious group demanded in their statement, while calling for a shutdown.

Scores of people on social media also censured the person who shot the video for a social media outlet.

“Some of these newbie Facebook pages positioning themselves as media houses have absolutely no idea of editorial responsibility. In this case, the channels role as a vehicle of mass dissemination of highly sensitive content can not be overlooked by law enforcing agencies,” journalist Zafar Choudhary wrote on Facebook.