Prominent Kashmir cleric and vice-president of Jamiat Ahlihadith Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat Veeri was Thursday booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA) for allegedly preaching a “radical ideology and instigating youth into carrying out anti-national activities”.
Mushtaq, 41, who hails from Veeri village of Bijbehara, wasarrested from his home on February 22 and lodged in Bijbehera police station.
He was later shifted to district jail Mattan in Anantnagdistrict.
A police official said the authorities booked him under PSAon Thursday and shifted him to Kathua Jail in Jammu division.
Veeri is a chief preacher at the Jamia Masjid Jamiat-i-AhlihadeesSherbagh in Anantnag town and has a hugefollowing.
The police dossier describes him as a “trouble makerinvolved in instigating youth to anti-national activities and preaching aradical ideology”.
“You are a staunch supporter of Jamiat-i-Ahlihadees and achronic trouble maker, involved in motivation and instigation of the youth ofAnantnag in particular and its adjoining areas in general for anti-nationalactivities,” reads the dossier.
It says: “You (Veeri) have been provoking the innocentpopulace of the area for indulging in activities which are prejudicial to themaintenance of public order. Besides, you also provoke the youth in the name ofreligion to join debates, activities, acts, and omissions which are against thepublic order and security of the state.”
Police have also charged Veeri “for being a religiousfanatic and a sympathiser of militants”.
“You are a hardcore fundamentalist with a mental benttowards insurgency and have been propagating radical ideology since long.Further, you have also been instrumental in forcing the public to follow eachand every strike call of separatist leaders and with the passage of time haveturned as a sympathiser of militants,” the dossier reads.
“You have beenspreading venom against the state of J&K and the Union of India andpromoting hatred,” the dossier said.
Veeri was last booked on charges of instigating the youthaccused of resorting to violence and torching a police vehicle during a protestdemonstration against the persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.
However, it is the first time that a PSA has been slapped onhim.
The dossier mentions the cases against him with chargesranging from “indulging in unlawful activities to attempt to murder”.
Meanwhile, the government also booked three Jamaat-i-Islamiactivists under the PSA in Anantnag district and shifted them to Jammu jails.
The activists were arrested last month during a crackdownagainst JeI that preceded the ban of the politico-socio-religious organisation.
Those detained under PSA include Ameer Halqa Sangam Muhammad Shaban Dar (64) of Marhamavillage of Sangam, former Qaim-e-Zillah JeI Anantnag Mushtaq Ahmad Wani (67) ofTangpawa Kokernag and Ameer Halqa Soaf Shali Kokernag Nowshad Ahmad (65).
All the three were shifted to Kathua Jail Jammu.
Last week, the government had booked former Ameer-i-Tehsilin Tral Mufti Shabir Ahmad Falahi and Jamat spokesperson advocate Zahid Alifrom Pulwama and shifted them to Jammu jails.
Aqib Gulzar, 19, the teenage son of Ameer tehsil AnantnagGulzar Ahmad was also been booked under PSA early this week and shifted toHiranagar jail.
“He was arrested in the overnight raid from his house earlythis month.
Aaqib’s father Gulzar Ahmad (48) from Uranhall village ofAnantnag has been evading arrest.