SRINAGAR: A day after PDP leader Iltija Mufti posted a video featuring late separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani speaking about Urdu on X, the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday registered an FIR over the circulation of content allegedly promoting separatist ideology.
The FIR was lodged at the Cyber Police Station against certain individuals, based on credible inputs about the dissemination of content across digital and social media platforms that promotes separatist ideology and propagates false information with an intent to incite unlawful activities prejudicial to the peace, sovereignty, and integrity of India, according to a police statement.
On Wednesday, Iltija shared the video, stating that while she may not concur with Geelani's ideology, the old video of him stressing the importance of Urdu makes sense for additional reasons and is worth watching. In the video, Geelani is heard saying that the youth are being deprived of the Urdu language, which carries the region's religious literature. He noted that a substantial body of religious literature across India, Pakistan, and Jammu and Kashmir has been preserved in Urdu, and being deprived of it means being cut off from this literature. Geelani urged people to learn Urdu, claiming efforts were underway to undermine the language. Geelani died in September 2021.
A senior police officer said the matter came to their notice after the video shared by Iltija was amplified online. The police statement added that a preliminary inquiry indicates the circulation of such content is a deliberate attempt to propagate separatist and secessionist narratives through digital platforms, with the potential to incite public disaffection, disturb public order, and undermine national integration.
Prima facie, the information discloses the commission of cognizable offenses punishable under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), police said. The statement advised people to refrain from creating, sharing, or circulating such unlawful content on social media and digital platforms, warning of strict action against violators.
A senior officer said it was an open FIR and more names would be added as the investigation proceeds. On Tuesday, Iltija had taken to the streets to protest the government's proposed move to remove Urdu as a mandatory language from the Jammu and Kashmir Revenue Service Recruitment Rules, calling it an attack on the region's linguistic heritage.
