Jammu and Kashmir Police Charge Politicians Over Social Media Posts Amid Iran Tensions
Police Action Against Politicians
On Tuesday, the Jammu and Kashmir Police announced that National Conference MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi and former Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu have been charged for allegedly disseminating misleading information on social media.
The specific content that prompted the police action remains unclear. However, both Mehdi and Mattu have been vocal in their condemnation of the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the subsequent military actions by the United States and Israel against Iran that commenced over the weekend.
The conflict escalated when Israel and the US launched attacks on Iran, resulting in Khamenei's death during a coordinated military operation on Sunday. In retaliation, Tehran targeted US military bases and significant cities in the Gulf region.
Mehdi claimed that the legal action against him was a direct result of his comments regarding the situation in West Asia. Both politicians previously indicated that their security measures had been reduced.
The police stated that the first information reports (FIRs) were filed based on credible information about the spread of false and misleading content intended to incite fear and disrupt public order.
According to the police, the content in question involved the dissemination of distorted narratives that could lead to public unrest and societal discord.
“Such intentional misinformation poses a significant threat to peace and stability,” the police emphasized in their statement.
The FIRs were filed under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita that address the spread of false information threatening national sovereignty and public order.
In a social media update, Mehdi remarked that the same authorities who failed to condemn the killing of a sovereign leader now seek to penalize him for speaking out.
He asserted that his constituents did not elect him to merely echo government-sanctioned sentiments but to voice the truth, a mandate that remains intact despite the FIR.
Mehdi also mentioned that his security detail had been downgraded and his Facebook account suspended, stating that such actions would not deter him from calling out injustices.
Mattu echoed similar sentiments, claiming that his security was revoked due to his remarks on Iran and Khamenei’s assassination, which he described as an attempt to silence him.
He expressed that these measures would not prevent him from advocating for justice and accountability regarding the moral failures of his government in relation to Iran.
Later, Mattu reported that police had arrived at his residence to remove his security personnel, emphasizing that he would continue to speak against the injustices faced by Iran and the moral failures of his government.
Mehbooba Mufti, the chief of the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party, criticized the FIRs against Mehdi and Mattu as unjust and called for their immediate withdrawal.
She stated that the silence of the Government of India and the Jammu & Kashmir administration regarding the aggression against Iran does not justify penalizing those who choose to speak out.
The FIRs followed earlier police statements indicating that various news outlets and individuals in Jammu and Kashmir had been charged for sharing misleading information about protests related to Khamenei’s death.
Protests erupted across several Indian states following the killing of Khamenei, who had been a significant figure for Shia Muslims worldwide since 1989.
Reports indicate that at least 14 individuals, including six security personnel, sustained injuries during protests in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.
In response to the unrest, authorities in the Union Territory restricted mobile internet speeds.