Kashmir seminary Dar Ul Uloom Jamia declared unlawful under anti-terror law
India's Kashmir government declared the region's largest Islamic seminary, Dar Ul Uloom Jamia Siraj Ul Uloom, unlawful under anti-terror laws on April 24. Officials say the south Kashmir school has links to the banned group Jamaat-e-Islami.
Kashmir's government has banned the region's largest Islamic seminary under India's tough anti-terrorism law. The Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) now applies to Dar Ul Uloom Jamia Siraj Ul Uloom in south Kashmir.
Kashmir divisional commissioner Anshul Garg signed the order on April 24. He said the seminary has "sustained and covert linkages" with Jamaat-e-Islami, a group India banned in 2019.
The move has angered Kashmir's religious and political leaders. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a top religious leader, called it "harassment" and questioned why Kashmir's elected government stayed silent.
The UAPA is India's main anti-terror law. Critics say the government uses it too broadly to silence opposition in Kashmir, a Muslim-majority region that both India and Pakistan claim.
This fits a pattern of Indian crackdowns on Kashmir's institutions since 2019, when New Delhi removed the region's special status and increased direct control.
This move affects thousands of students and shows how India uses terrorism laws to control Kashmir's religious institutions. It adds to tensions in the disputed region where many Muslims feel their rights are under attack.
Watch for responses from Kashmir's elected government and potential legal challenges to the ban.
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