Jammu and Kashmir administration initiates territory-wide book purge

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has launched a territory‑wide campaign to screen and purge "objectionable" books from schools, coaching centres and bookstores.

The crackdown was triggered by two library titles that referred to the region as "India occupied Kashmir" and described separatist leader Muhammad Maqbool Bhat as a martyr. In response, officials were suspended, authors blacklisted, works withdrawn, criminal investigations opened and a sweep ordered of every book in every institution.

The action follows earlier bans on works by scholars and journalists accused of promoting "false narratives" or glorifying terrorism, prompting critics to warn that it undermines Article 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution guaranteeing freedom of speech.