A government directive regulating fundraising for charity and Islamic education in Jammu’s Kishtwar district during Ramzan has triggered an outcry, with non-BJP parties seeking its revocation.
Kishtwar deputy commissioner Pankaj Kumar Sharma issued the order on February 18 under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), mandating strict regulation and monitoring of all charitable collections, including zakat and sadaqah (forms of charity), during the month of fasting which began on Thursday.
According to the order, no individual, NGO, trust, society, or committee may collect donations in cash, kind, or in digital form without valid registration and prior written clearance from designated authorities such as tehsildars, executive officers of the government-led waqf board, the imam of the Jamia Masjid in Kishtwar or the president of the Majlis Shura Committee.
Muslims contribute generously during Ramzan and a large number of NGOs and madrasas depend on such donations for charity and religious education.
The order has directed authorised collectors to carry identification cards, registration documents and official receipt books, while maintaining transparent records of all collections and expenditures.
It further prohibits coercive solicitation, harassment, obstruction of public movement, or fraudulent practices. A district vigilance helpline has also been activated to report suspicious activities.
The order acknowledges zakat and sadaqah as sacred Islamic obligations but describes the regulatory mechanism as a safeguard against fraud, misrepresentation, and the potential diversion of funds for unlawful or subversive activities — concerns that security agencies have reportedly raised in recent months.
Senior police and administrative officers, including the senior superintendent of police of Kishtwar, sub-divisional magistrates and tehsildars, have been instructed to enforce the order strictly. Any violation will invite action, it says.
Opposition leader and BJP MLA Sunil Sharma, who is from Kishtwar, defended the order, claiming some elements misuse such funds for anti-national activities. Ruling NC MLA Tanvir Sadiq criticised him, asking Sharma to provide evidence before issuing such “sweeping statements”.
Deputy chief minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary cautioned government officers against interference in religious affairs. “These are new times and you have new officers. If people get more power than their status, they display it. But officers should not speak or take such actions when it comes to religious affairs,” he said.
Opposition PDP legislator Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi condemned the order as unconstitutional, arguing it infringes upon the religious freedoms guaranteed under Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution.