Govt Declares Darul Uloom Jamia Siraj-ul-Uloom Unlawful Under UAPA; JeI Links, Radicalisation Concerns Cited
Arif Rashid
Srinagar, Apr 27: In a significant development with far-reaching security and political implications, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has declared Darul Uloom Jamia Siraj-ul-Uloom, Imam Sahib, Shopian an unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), citing alleged links with banned Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir (JeI), concerns over radicalisation, and activities deemed prejudicial to national security.
According to an official notification, the action follows intelligence inputs and security assessments suggesting the institution was allegedly being used beyond its educational role for propagation of separatist ideology and radical narratives. Authorities have claimed the seminary maintained ideological and organisational associations with JeI and was involved in activities considered detrimental to public order and the sovereignty of the nation.
The government’s decision is being viewed as part of a broader counter-radicalisation framework under which agencies have increasingly focused not only on militant structures but also on institutions and networks suspected of sustaining extremist ecosystems. Officials maintained the step was preventive in nature and aimed at dismantling ideological channels allegedly used to influence vulnerable sections, particularly youth.
Sources said provisions of the UAPA were invoked after authorities concluded that continued functioning of the institution in its present form posed concerns for peace and stability in the region. The notification reportedly cites “continued unlawful activities” and alleged support to anti-national narratives as grounds for the declaration.
The move comes against the backdrop of heightened scrutiny of institutions allegedly linked, directly or indirectly, with banned organisations. Security agencies have in recent years intensified action against financial, social and ideological structures suspected of feeding separatist and extremist tendencies in Jammu and Kashmir.
Given the religious and social significance of seminaries in Kashmir, the declaration is expected to trigger debate in legal and political circles. While the government has projected the action as evidence-based and within the legal framework, observers say the move could invite judicial scrutiny and wider public discussion over the implications of invoking anti-terror law against a religious educational institution.
Security agencies, however, have reiterated that the objective is to prevent misuse of educational and religious platforms for unlawful purposes and to ensure institutions operate strictly within constitutional and legal parameters.
The development marks another major step in the government’s continuing security approach in Kashmir, expanding the focus from operational militancy to what officials describe as the ideological infrastructure sustaining extremism. Further details regarding enforcement measures and legal recourse available to the institution are awaited.
