Indian police in Kashmir raided bookstores, seizing 668 books linked to Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, a banned Islamic organization.

Axar.az reports that the books, mostly by Islamic scholar Abul Ala Maududi, were published legally in New Delhi but deemed unlawful in Kashmir.

Authorities justified the move as preventing the distribution of extremist ideology, while critics, including political leaders and analysts, condemned it as suppressing dissent and stifling intellectual freedom. The crackdown follows New Delhi’s broader efforts to control Kashmir’s political and ideological landscape post-2019, raising concerns about democratic freedoms and freedom of expression.