SRINAGAR: Police launched Thursday coordinated raids across Kashmir valley, seizing allegedly subversive books from bookstores and literary venues, including Chinar book festival underway at SKICC on the banks of Dal Lake. The crackdown followed J&K administration banning 25 titles under section 98 of BNSS.Police confiscated five copies of “A Dismantled State: The Untold Story of Kashmir After Article 370” by Anuradha Bhasin, two copies of “The Kashmir Dispute, 1947–2012” by AG Noorani, and one copy of “Kashmir at the Crossroads” by Sumantra Bose from bookstores in Srinagar.On Tuesday, the home department’s order declared all copies of the listed books — whether held by people or organisations — liable to forfeiture, citing threats to national unity and sovereignty. The department reports to lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha.Press statements from district police headquarters described the action as part of an ongoing crackdown on publications allegedly promoting secessionist ideologies, glorifying terrorism, or disseminating distorted historical narratives.“The objective of the operation was to identify, seize, and forfeit literature that propagates false narratives or poses a threat to the unity of India,” Srinagar police said.Police in Anantnag said inspections were carried out across all police station jurisdictions. The enforcement aimed to curb material “that glorifies terrorism, vilifies security forces, or contributes to youth radicalisation,” a district statement read. Authorities urged people to report possession or circulation of banned content.The move drew sharp criticism from political and religious voices across the region. CPM opposed the ban and demanded its immediate revocation. Former CM and opposition PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said: “Democracy thrives on the free exchange of ideas. Banning books cannot erase history, it only fuels division.”Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq called the ban an “exposure of insecurity and limited understanding” by those behind it. “The contradiction lies in hosting a literary festival while silencing dissenting literature,” he said.
