In a statement, the KPSS, an organisation of Kashmiri Pandits living in the Valley, emphasised that religious institutions belong solely to devotees, rejecting any state interference." />
Thursday, Apr 3 2025 | Time 20:56 Hrs(IST)
States » NorthPosted at: Apr 2 2025 10:39PM


Waqf Bill debate: KPSS slams hypocrisy on religious autonomy

Srinagar, Apr 2 (UNI) The Kashmiri Pandit Sangarash Samiti (KPSS) Wednesday criticized the “hypocrisy” of those opposing the Waqf Amendment Bill while ignoring the decades-long "desecration of Kashmiri Pandit religious sites."
In a statement, the KPSS, an organisation of Kashmiri Pandits living in the Valley, emphasised that religious institutions belong solely to devotees, rejecting any state interference.
The president of KPSS Sanjay said they unequivocally uphold the principle that the government must never interfere in the religious affairs of any community.
"Faith and its institutions belong solely to the devotees, and any state intervention is both unethical and unacceptable. It is in this spirit that we express our concern over the tabling of the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Indian Parliament," Tickoo said.
However, he accused those who now claim moral authority of ignoring the systematic encroachment, vandalism, and commercialisation of Kashmiri Pandit temples, Ashtapans, cremation grounds, and sacred springs over the past 35 years.

The KPSS condemned the silence of Kashmir’s political class, civil society, and citizens on the destruction of the Pandit heritage. It noted that no government, state or central, has taken decisive steps to restore these properties.
“If religious properties are sacred, why was this principle selectively abandoned for Kashmiri Pandit endowments?” the KPSS questioned.

The statement accused politicians, businessmen, and local influential figures of benefiting from illegal occupations of Pandit properties, treating temples and their lands as real estate. The KPSS stressed that until Kashmir’s majority community acknowledges and rectifies these historical wrongs, it has no moral right to lecture on religious autonomy.

“Justice must be universal,” the KPSS declared, refusing to accept sermons from those who remained silent as the community’s heritage was erased. UNI MJR SSP
Tags: #Waqf Bill debate: KPSS slams hypocrisy on religious autonomy
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