SRINAGAR: Residents of Zadoora village in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district have made allegations that soldiers from the Indian army entered a local mosque and compelled individuals to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ during pre-dawn prayers on Saturday.
The reported incident has sparked calls for an investigation, with former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti, expressing shock and demanding action. Mufti took to Twitter, stating, “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.”
Shocked to hear about army troops from 50 RR storming into a mosque at Pulwama & forcing muslims inside to chant ‘Jai Shree Ram’. Such a move when @AmitShah is here & that too ahead of yatra is simply an act of provocation. Request @RgGhai to immediately set up a probe.
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) June 24, 2023
According to the residents, senior army and police officials visited the village in response to the incident and assured them that the matter would be looked into. As narrated by the villagers, in the early hours of Saturday, around 1:30 am, an army patrol reportedly asked several men to come out of their homes, claiming that new recruits were being trained on calling people during the night. “Initially, they talked politely, but kept the men out for almost two hours,” said one villager.
Another villager recounted that during the morning call to prayer from the mosque, as the Muezzin began reciting the Azaan over the loudspeaker, the soldiers entered and demanded that he chant ‘Jai Shree Ram’.
According to The Indian Express, the soldiers themselves also chanted the slogan, according to the villager, who further claimed that some of the soldiers outside assaulted residents.
When approached for comment, the Senior Superintendent of Police in Pulwama, abruptly ended the call, while the DIG, South Kashmir, stated that he was unable to speak as he was attending to a medical emergency. Calls to Deputy Commissioner, Pulwama, Basharat Qayoom, and Director General of Police, Dilbagh Singh, went unanswered.
The allegations of soldiers entering a mosque and forcing individuals to chant a religious slogan have raised concerns and triggered calls for an investigation into the incident. The local authorities’ response and the actions taken following these allegations remain under scrutiny.