People’s Democratic Party chairman and lawmaker Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi said the ordinance was “unconstitutional and violates religious freedom.” File | Photo credit: The Hindu
The Deputy Commissioner (DC), Kishtwar, on Thursday (February 19, 2026) issued an order to curb “unregulated and unauthorized collection of donations by individuals” in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, drawing sharp criticism from several quarters in J&K.
In the order, Pankaj Kumar Sharma, DC of Kishtwar, expressed concern that “there is a tendency for unregulated and unauthorized collection of donations during the holy month of Ramadan, which requires immediate regulatory intervention”.
Citing Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, Mr. Sharma said, “It is the statutory duty of the district administration to ensure that public contributions meant for relief, welfare or religious purposes are not misappropriated, embezzled or diverted for extraneous or subversive activities”.
The regulation states that individuals, NGOs, trusts, companies or committees cannot collect for charity “without valid registration under relevant laws (eg J&K Companies Registration Act, Trust Act)”. She emphasized that prior written permission should be obtained from the Managing Director, Waqf Board Unit Kishtwar, Imam of Jamia Masjid Kishtwar or the concerned tehsildars.
The order directed the Superintendent of Police, Kishtwar and Sub-District Magistrate and tehsildars to “ensure strict enforcement”. “This order will come into force with immediate effect and will remain in force throughout the Holy Month of Ramadan,” he added.
J&K Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary warned officials against “interfering in religious matters”. “The government is committed to transparency and accountability. However, officers must operate within constitutional and administrative boundaries,” Kumar said.
J&K minister Satish Sharma said such orders were issued by those officials “who are associated with a particular ideology”. “It’s unfortunate. They need to change,” Mr Sharma said.
People’s Democratic Party chairman and lawmaker Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi said the ordinance was “unconstitutional and violates religious freedom.” “The order threatens the autonomy of Muslim endowments and constitutes unwarranted government interference in religious affairs.”
Mr Mehdi said this “violated” Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution. “This move was not merely administrative in nature but reflected a systematic attempt to interfere with community-driven religious practices. Charitable obligations such as Zakat fall within the purview of religious institutions and should remain free from arbitrary government control,” Mehdi said.
Published – 20 February 2026 05:45 IST