Police in Kashmir have raided dozens of bookstores and seized more than 650 books as part of crackdowns on dissent in the Indian-administered region.Most of the titles were written by Abul A’la Maududi, a prominent 20th-century Islamic scholar who founded Jamaat-e-Islami, an Islamic organisation banned in KashmirRaids began last Friday in Srinagar, Kashmir’s main city, before moving to other parts of the disputed region. In a statement, Srinagar police said that the raids were “based on credible intelligence regarding the clandestine sale and distribution of literature promoting the ideology of a banned organisation”, and that 668 books were seized in all.The books were mostly published by Markazi Maktaba Islami Publishers, based in New Delhi, which is affiliated with the Indian branch of Jamaat-e-Islami, one of the largest religious and political organisations in the Indian subcontinent.
“These books were found to be in violation of legal regulations, and strict action is being taken against those found in possession of such material,” police said.