JAMMU — Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday called for political maturity, urging lawmakers to desist from politicising administrative decisions after a government order regulating Ramzan donations (Zakat) in Kishtwar triggered protests in the Assembly.
Raising a point of order after Question Hour, Abdullah responded to concerns flagged by Congress MLAs Nizamuddin Bhat and Ghulam Ahmed Mir, who had demanded revocation of the district administration’s order.
The chief minister told the House that he personally looked into the matter and clarified that the Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner had acted on the request of local Muslim religious leaders in the district, not on political instructions.
He said that during pre-Ramzan meetings, local Muslim religious leaders had expressed serious concern over the mushrooming of “fake NGOs” exploiting the holy month to defraud donors.
“Money is collected in the name of patients who may not even exist. Religious leaders themselves requested the DC to issue an order because genuine NGOs were being harmed by these fraudulent actors,” Abdullah said, adding that the order has received formal backing from the imam of Kishtwar Jama Masjid, local maulvis and prominent religious organisations in the region.
Stressing that not every administrative decision should be viewed through a political lens, Abdullah urged legislators to examine issues in detail.
“I would request members that we should not do politics on everything. Sometimes decisions are taken after consulting people, not on political considerations,” he said.
Kishtwar district authorities had on Wednesday issued an order regulating donation collections during Ramzan, citing concerns over unauthorised fundraising.
District Magistrate Pankaj Kumar Sharma in an order said the administration is legally bound to ensure that public contributions meant for welfare or religious purposes are not misappropriated or diverted.
“There has been a tendency of unauthorised collection of donations by certain individuals and organisations during Ramzan, necessitating immediate regulatory intervention,” Sharma said.
While Congress MLAs demanded withdrawal of the order, PDP MLA Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi termed it an administrative overreach.
However, Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma welcomed the order, saying even local religious leadership had supported it and that maintaining law and order was essential. — (PTI)