On Sunday, the National Investigative Agency (NIA) carried out raids on the offices of various non-governmental organizations (NGOs), human rights activists and Greater Kashmir, a local newspaper, in Srinagar.
The raid was also carried out on a house in the Bandipora district of northern Kashmir.
NIA officials said they had searched 10 locations in Srinagar and Bandipora in the Kashmir Valley and one more location in Bengaluru in connection with a case involving NGOs and Trusts raising funds at home and abroad.
The funds were allegedly raised on behalf of charitable activities and subsequently used to carry out secessionist and separatist activities in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), which was declared Union Territory (UT) on October 31, 2019 following the repeal of the article. 370 of the Constitution on August 5 of the same year.
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“A case was registered under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant sections of the Unlawful Activity Prevention Act (UAPA) 1967 upon receiving credible information that certain NGOs and Trusts are collecting funds at home and abroad through donations and commercial contributions, etc. and they are using these funds for secessionist and terrorist activities at J&K, ”said an NIA spokesperson.
Raids were carried out on the residence and office of Khurram Parvez, coordinator of the J&K Civil Society Coalition; his associates Parvez Ahmad Bukhari, Parvez Ahmad Matta, Swati Sheshadri; which is based in Bengaluru; Parveena Ahanger, president of the Association of Parents of Missing Persons (APDPK) and the NGO Athrout and GK Trust, among others, the spokesperson said.
“Various incriminating electronic documents and devices have been seized. More investigations are being carried out, ”he added.
Bukhari, a journalist, works for a foreign news agency.
Mehbooba Mufti, former prime minister of J&K and head of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), alleged that the NIA has emerged as a “favorite agency” of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) “to intimidate and frighten those who refuse to fall in line. “.
She alleged: “The NIA raids on human rights activist Khurram Parvez and the Greater Kashmir office in Srinagar are another example of the government’s brutal crackdown on freedom of expression and dissent. Sadly, the NIA has become BJP’s favorite agency for intimidating and intimidating those who refuse to follow the line. “
She alleged that at a time when J&K land and resources were being looted, the government wanted the media to write opinion pieces on nondescript topics like diabetes and yoga.
“In BJP’s ‘everything is fine’ farce, the truth is the biggest victim. Any journalist who is not willing to be part of the Godi media (those who speak in favor of the ruling party or the government) is a target, ”he alleged.
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