Designation of Darul Uloom Jamia Siraj-ul-Uloom as an Unlawful Entity under UAPA
Introduction
The government of Jammu and Kashmir has formally designated Darul Uloom Jamia Siraj-ul-Uloom, a prominent educational institution in Shopian, as an unlawful entity pursuant to Section 8(1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Main Body
The administrative action was initiated following a dossier submitted on March 24, 2026, by the Shopian Senior Superintendent of Police. On April 24, Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Anshul Garg issued an order citing evidence of sustained and covert associations between the seminary and the banned organization Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI). The administration asserts that individuals affiliated with JeI exercise de facto control over the institution's academic and administrative functions. Consequently, District Magistrate Shishir Gupta implemented prohibitory orders on the following Monday, restricting unauthorized access to the premises. Government justifications for this designation center on the allegation that the institution fostered an environment conducive to radicalization. Specific evidence cited includes the case of former student Sajjad Bhat, whose vehicle was utilized in the February 14, 2019, Pulwama attack; subsequent National Investigation Agency probes indicated Bhat's affiliation with Jaish-e-Mohammed. Furthermore, the administration noted the 2020 booking of three faculty members under the Public Safety Act and raised concerns regarding financial opacity and the potential diversion of institutional funds. Conversely, the institution's leadership disputes these claims. Chairman Mohammad Shafi Lone has characterized the allegations as baseless, maintaining that the seminary is a law-abiding entity with no ties to banned organizations. Lone has expressed a willingness to undergo a formal committee investigation to verify the institution's compliance. This perspective is supported by political figures, including PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who have characterized the government's actions as a policy of harassment and an injustice toward an institution that serves underprivileged populations. From an analytical standpoint, the impact of this closure extends to the region's educational infrastructure. The seminary, which hosts 814 students and 102 faculty members, provides a dual curriculum combining traditional religious studies with modern science affiliated with the J&K BOSE. While the government frames the move as a preventive security measure—arguing that such proceedings do not require the same evidentiary burden as a criminal trial—critics interpret the action as a disruption of a significant academic center.
Conclusion
Darul Uloom Jamia Siraj-ul-Uloom remains sealed and designated as an unlawful entity, pending further legal or administrative developments regarding its alleged links to banned organizations.