Srinagar, Jan 15: The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday arrested six people for allegedly inciting sectarian unrest by making derogatory remarks in a video.
The arrested individuals have been charged under Sections 126 and 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), a law aimed at maintaining public order. They are currently detained at the Central Jail in Srinagar. A police spokesman warned that anyone engaging in similar unlawful activities, including sharing divisive content, would face similar consequences.
In a post on X, Srinagar police said, 06 miscreants have been charged under sections 126 & 170 of the BNSS and have been detained at Central Jail, Srinagar, for inciting sectarian unrest through derogatory remarks.
The public is hereby warned that any individual found engaging in similar unlawful activities, including posting or sharing sectarian content with the intent to create division or disturb public harmony, will meet the same fate. WE ARE WATCHING.”(sic).
The video, which was widely shared on social media, showed a person making disrespectful remarks about caliphs from a particular sect, sparking a strong backlash from other religious groups. The police quickly responded to demands for action against those behind the viral video.
In the wake of the incident, religious groups, including the Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), have called for peace and unity. A spokesman for the MMU expressed concern over attempts to disrupt communal harmony in the region. “We condemn such actions and urge people to show restraint and mutual respect,” the spokesperson said.
The MMU also appealed to religious leaders to guide their followers in maintaining unity and avoiding discord. They called for strict action against those responsible for the inflammatory video and urged locals not to share content that fuels sectarian hatred. Similarly, the All J&K Shia Association expressed regret over the incident and called for strong action against those spreading hatred online.
