Jammu, Feb 19: Amidst the ongoing budgetary discussions in the Assembly on Thursday, Congress legislator and MLa from Bandipora Nizamuddin Bhat launched a blistering attack on the Kishtwar administration over a district order regulating the collection of donations during Ramadhan. He demanded its immediate rollback on the grounds that it is both “unconstitutional” and a violation of Islamic principles.
Raising the matter during the debate on grants for departments headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the Bandipora MLA, as per Kashmir Convener, took strong exception to the directive that mandates individuals and groups to seek clearance from either the Wakf Board, the local Imam, or tehsildars before soliciting contributions.
Drawing from religious doctrine to bolster his constitutional argument, Bhat questioned the state’s jurisdiction over private acts of faith.
“Is Sadaqah, Zakat or any Alms to be subjected to administrative scrutiny? Our Shariah says the left hand should not know what the right hand donates. This is intruding into privacy,” he asserted on the floor of the House.
Bhat did not mince words in his assessment of the Deputy Commissioner’s order, describing it as “absolutely unconstitutional, ultra vires, bad in law, and provocative.” He urged the Chief Minister to personally examine the legality of the directive and ensure its withdrawal.
The order in question mandates that all fundraising entities maintain a transparent record of collections and obtain prior approval from designated authorities—a move the administration claims is aimed at regulation and vigilance.
While senior Congress colleague Ghulam Ahmad Mir seconded the demand, terming the order “shocking” and unprecedented, the attack was led by Bhat, who positioned himself as the primary interlocutor defending the “privacy” of religious charity against executive overreach.
Comments are closed.