Armymen enter mosque, force Muslims to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’, Mehbooba Mufti seek probe
Residents of Zadoora village in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district have alleged that Armymen entered a local mosque and forced people to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ during pre-dawn prayers on Saturday.
The alleged incident prompted former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to seek a probe. “Shocked to hear about army troops… storming a mosque at Pulwama & forcing Muslims inside to chant ‘Jai Shree Ram’. Such a move when Amit Shah is here & that too ahead of yatra is simply an act of provocation,” the Peoples Democratic Party chief tweeted.
When contacted, the Defence spokesperson in Srinagar said: “I have asked for details.”
According to residents, following the incident, senior Army and police officers visited the village and assured that they would look into the matter.
Residents of Zadoora said that early Saturday morning, a little after 1.30 am, an Army patrol asked some men to come out of their homes. The villagers said they were told that new recruits were being taught how to call people during the night.
“Initially, they talked politely, but kept the men out for almost two hours,” said a villager.
Another villager said that early in the morning, there was a call for prayers from the mosque. “As the muezzin (who calls for prayer) at the Rajab Sahib mosque was halfway through his azaan on the loudspeaker, the Armymen entered and asked him to chant ‘Jai Shree Ram’. They also chanted the slogan themselves,” claimed the villager, adding that some of the soldiers outside allegedly assaulted residents too.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Pulwama disconnected the call when asked about the incident, while DIG, South Kashmir said he could not talk as he was “attending to a medical emergency”. Deputy Commissioner, Pulwama Basharat Qayoom and Director General of Police Dilbagh Singh did not respond to calls seeking a comment.
