People’s Democratic Party leader and legislator Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi said the order was “unconstitutional and an infringement on religious freedom”. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
The Deputy Commissioner (DC), Kishtwar, on Thursday (February 19, 2026) issued an order to curb “unregulated and unauthorised collection of donations by individuals” in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and drew sharp criticism from several J&K parties.
Pankaj Kumar Sharma, DC of Kishtwar, in the order expressed fears that “during the holy month of Ramadan, there is a tendency for unregulated and unauthorized collection of donations, which necessitates immediate regulatory intervention”.
Invoking Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, Mr. Sharma said, “It’s the statutory obligation of the District Administration to ensure that public contributions intended for relief, welfare or religious purposes are not misappropriated, laundered or diverted for extraneous or subversive activities”.
The order said individuals, non-governmental organisations, trusts, societies or committees cannot collect charity “without a valid registration under the relevant Acts (e.g., J&K Societies Registration Act, Trust Act)”. It underlined that a prior written clearance must be obtained from the executive officer, Waqf Board Unit Kishtwar, Imam Jamia Masjid Kishtwar or concerned tehsildars.
The order directed the Senior Superintendent of Police, Kishtwar, and sub-district magistrate and tehsildars to “ensure strict enforcement”. “This order shall come into force with immediate effect and shall remain operative throughout the Holy Month of Ramadan,” it added.
J&K Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary warned officials against “interfering into religious affairs”. “The government is committed to transparency and accountability. However, officers must operate within constitutional and administrative boundaries,” Mr. Kumar said.
J&K minister Satish Sharma said such orders were issued by those officials “who are aligned to a particular ideology”. “It’s unfortunate. They need to change themselves,” Mr. Sharma said.
People’s Democratic Party leader and legislator Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi said the order was “unconstitutional and an infringement on religious freedom”. “The order threatens the autonomy of Muslim endowments and represents unwarranted government interference in religious affairs.”
Mr. Mehdi said it “violated” Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution. “The move was not merely administrative in nature but reflected a systematic attempt to interfere in community-managed religious practices. Charitable obligations such as Zakat fall within the domain of religious institutions and should remain free from arbitrary governmental control,” Mr. Mehdi said.
Published – February 20, 2026 05:45 am IST
