Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner regulates Ramadan donations; CM Omar Abdullah says move not political

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah . File Pic

Amid a row over an order regulating the collection of donations during Ramzan, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said the decision was taken after consultations with local religious leaders and should not be politicised.

Citing concerns over unauthorised fund raising, the deputy commissioner of Kishtwar had on Wednesday issued an order regulating the collection of donations during the holy month.

Responding to concerns raised by Congress MLAs Gulam Ahmed Mir and Nizam-ud-Din Bhat in the Assembly on Thursday, Abdullah said he looked into the matter and found that the deputy commissioner did not issue the order arbitrarily.

He said all district commissioners had been instructed in advance to engage with local communities and make necessary preparations for Ramzan. During one such meeting, religious leaders from the Muslim community in and around Kishtwar met the deputy commissioner and highlighted the issue of individuals setting up fake non-governmental organisations during Ramzan to collect donations, the chief minister said.

"They informed the administration that money is often collected in the name of charity or patients whose existence cannot be verified, and there is no clarity on how the funds are actually utilised," Abdullah said, adding that genuine NGOs suffer as a result and are deprived of much-needed support.

Abdullah said religious leaders had specifically requested the deputy commissioner to intervene and put an end to the practice. "Based on these genuine concerns raised by clerics and community representatives, the deputy commissioner issued the order," he said.

Abdullah further said the Imam of the Jamia Masjid Kishtwar, along with other clerics and religious leaders, has welcomed the move. Appealing for restraint, the chief minister said not every administrative decision should be viewed through a political lens. "We should sometimes go into the details. Many decisions are taken after consultations with the people and not on political grounds. Such matters should not be dragged into politics," he said.

Criticising the order, Mir and Bhat had demanded its immediate revocation.

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