“Start With Temples”: Mehbooba Mufti Slams J&K Mosque Profiling Move

Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti on January 14, 2026, strongly criticized the ongoing profiling exercise of mosques and Imams in the Union Territory, calling it an attempt to spread hatred against Muslims and create a fear psychosis in the community. Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, she demanded that if profiling of religious institutions is deemed necessary, the authorities should begin with temples and Hindu priests before targeting mosques, questioning the selective nature of the exercise.

Mehbooba described the move as discriminatory and deeply divisive, arguing that it undermines trust and normalcy in a region still recovering from years of conflict. She accused the administration of using security concerns as a pretext to harass religious figures and monitor community spaces, which she said only serves to alienate people further and deepen communal fault lines.

The profiling exercise, directed by district administrations across Jammu and Kashmir, involves collecting detailed information about mosques, including the number of Imams, their personal and educational backgrounds, sources of funding, and records of sermons delivered during Friday prayers. Officials have maintained that the data collection is a routine administrative and security measure aimed at ensuring transparency and law and order, and that similar information is gathered from all religious institutions regardless of faith.

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However, the exercise has drawn sharp criticism from several political leaders, civil society groups, and religious organizations in Kashmir, who view it as an infringement on religious freedom and an attempt to control and surveil Muslim community spaces. Mehbooba Mufti's remarks have reignited debate on minority rights, religious profiling, and the balance between security imperatives and civil liberties in the Union Territory.

Her comments come at a time when Jammu and Kashmir continues to navigate complex political and social dynamics following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 and the subsequent reorganization into a Union Territory. The issue is expected to feature prominently in political discourse in the coming days as various parties and stakeholders respond to the controversy. Authorities have yet to issue a detailed public clarification on the scope and intent of the profiling exercise.

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