Former chief ministers of India-held Kashmir have called for a thorough investigation into allegations that Indian soldiers forced Muslim worshippers to chant Hindu slogans in a mosque located in the Pulwama area of the Kashmir.
Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah have voiced their concerns, urging authorities to take prompt action.
Reacting to the reports, Mehbooba Mufti expressed shock and condemned the incident as an act of provocation. She called upon Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, recently appointed as the commander of India’s Chinar Corps in the area, to initiate an immediate probe into the matter.
Similarly, Omar Abdullah labeled the reports deeply distressing and deemed it unacceptable for soldiers to enter a mosque and coerce individuals into chanting slogans such as “Jai Shree Ram.”
He expressed hope that Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh would ensure a transparent and timely investigation into the incident.
According to local residents of Zadoora, a village in Pulwama, the alleged incident occurred during the early hours of June 24.
The foreign media reported that soldiers belonging to the Rashtriya Rifles, a counter-insurgency force, reportedly arrived in the village accompanied by an unidentified officer.
Mohammad Altaf Bhat, chairman of the Zadoora Civil Society group, recounted that soldiers summoned him while the officer sat on a vehicle’s bonnet. Initially assuming they were conducting a search for suspects, Bhat stated that the soldiers informed him about a new team being stationed in the area and conducting a mock drill to train recruits in counter-insurgency operations.
Bhat criticized the soldiers’ actions, highlighting that the operation could have been carried out during daylight rather than disturbing the villagers in the middle of the night.
He further alleged that at dawn, soldiers followed the muezzin during the call to prayer and forced him to chant “Jai Shree Ram” slogans.
Local sources also claimed that the army detained at least ten villagers, with five individuals reportedly subjected to physical assault. The detainees were allegedly coerced into chanting slogans collectively. Furthermore, locals accused the army of causing damage to the Jamia Masjid Zadoora.
While a senior army officer, speaking anonymously, confirmed being aware of the incident, they stated that the facts were currently being ascertained. Once the details are clear, the officer assured that they would be shared.
In a positive development, high-ranking army officials apologized to the villagers on Sunday, assuring them that the army had removed the major involved in the incident. Mohammad Altaf Bhat expressed satisfaction with the army’s action, emphasizing the need to prevent any recurrence of such incidents in the future.
Meanwhile, The Telegraph quoted Bhat as saying that high-ranking army officials had apologised to the villagers on Sunday, adding that the officials had said that an army major involved in the incident was also removed.
“We are satisfied with the army’s action but we don’t want a repeat of such incidents,” he said.
