CM Omar defends Kishtwar order on Ramzan donations
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday strongly defended a recent order by the Kishtwar district administration aimed at regulating the collection of donations during the holy month of Ramzan. Omar also sounded a word of caution, asking political leaders, including those of his own party, not to “politicise religious matters.”
The District Magistrate, Kishtwar, Pankaj Kumar Sharma in his order had stated that “the tradition of Zakat and Sadaqah (charitable giving) is an integral and sacred facet of the religious and social fabric during Ramzan; any act of artifice, misrepresentation, or fraudulent solicitation of funds not only desecrates the sanctity of the holy month but also exploits the altruism of the general public.”
The order further states that “it is the statutory obligation of the District Administration to ensure that public contributions intended for relief, welfare, or religious purposes are not misappropriated, laundered, or diverted for extraneous or subversive activities”. The district magistrate had invoked section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, making it mandatory to maintain records of collections and expenditures and asked police and magistrates across the district to ensure implementation and compliance. However, the order created a furore with some Opposition leaders and even voices within Abdullah’s own National Conference party criticising it as interference in religious affairs.
Congress MLAs, including Nizam-ud-Din Bhat and Ghulam Ahmed Mir, first raised the issue in the Legislative Assembly, describing it as “unconstitutional” and “provocative.” The BJP, on the other hand, defended the order, saying it will prevent misuse of donations for anti-national activities. The PDP too slammed the move, terming it an interference in religious affairs.
Responding to the ongoing slugfest, Omar chose to set the record straight by making it clear that the order was issued based on the recommendations of religious leaders to prevent misuse of charity during Ramzan.
The chief minister said he looked into the matter and found that the deputy commissioner of Kishtwar had not issued the order on his own.
He said religious leaders informed the administration that several entities sprout during Ramazan to collect donations.
“They collect money in the name of patients or charity. But there is no accountability where the funds are used. Sometimes, it is not even known whether the patient in whose name money is raised actually exists,” Abdullah said.
The chief minister said raising donations without any regulations lead to misuse of funds and also harm genuine non-profits. He said the order has been welcomed by religious leaders in Kishtwar and asked MLAs not to politicise religious issues. He informed the House that the Deputy Commissioner was asked to take measures to protect genuine NGOs from harm caused by such misuse. “The DC was urged to issue an appropriate order to regulate this, and he did so following their request,” the CM added.
He further said the order was welcomed by the Imam of Jamia Masjid Kishtwar, other religious leaders, and local residents.
Leader of the opposition in the house, Sunil Sharma, who is also an MLA from Kishtwar district, claimed there were reports of misuse of donations for anti-national activities, so the administration had issued an order to regulate it. He said that no one should object to the verification of any individual or entity unless they have something to hide.
“While Muslims give charity and pay zakat to help the poor and needy in the holy month of Ramzan, some elements are trying to misuse it. Therefore, to prevent the misuse, the order issued by the Kishtwar administration is appreciable,” the BJP leader said.
Talking to reporters outside the Assembly, People’s Democratic Party leader Waheed ur Rehman Para and National Conference leader Javed Ahmed Beigh had earlier demanded revocation of the order.
