The Kashmir Times office was raided, and AK rifle cartridges were recovered. The editors condemned the action.

By Ayush Sachan

The editors condemned the raid as a “coordinated effort to suppress independent journalism.” They emphasized that criticizing the government is not detrimental to the state and urged authorities to withdraw the charges.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police’s State Investigation Agency (SIA) conducted a raid on the Jammu office of the Kashmir Times newspaper on Thursday. During the search, they recovered cartridges of AK rifles, rounds of pistols, and hand grenade pins. This operation was linked to allegations that the newspaper was promoting activities against the country.

Officials conducted a thorough search of the premises, including computers, as part of the investigation. The promoters of the newspaper are expected to be questioned in the coming days.

In a joint statement, editors Anuradha Bhasin Jamwal and Prabodh Jamwal condemned the raid, labeling it a “coordinated attempt to silence independent journalism.” They emphasized that “criticizing the government is not synonymous with being inimical to the state. A robust and questioning press is indispensable for a healthy democracy. The accusations leveled against us are intended to intimidate, delegitimize, and ultimately silence. We refuse to be silenced.”

The editors strongly urged the authorities to withdraw the charges and cease their actions, which they described as harassment. They appealed to their media colleagues, civil society organizations, and citizens to stand in solidarity with them. They reiterated that journalism is not a crime and emphasized their unwavering commitment to truth, regardless of the raid.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter, Iltija Mufti, criticized the raid, labeling it “preposterous” and an instance of state “high-handedness.” She highlighted the Kashmir Times as one of the few newspapers in the region that “stayed true to the truth and refused to succumb to pressure or intimidation.”

She posted on X, stating, “Raiding their offices under the pretext of anti-national activities reeks of high-handedness. In Kashmir, every outlet of truth is being stifled by invoking the anti-national slur. Are we all anti-nationals?”