A religious controversy sparked off by an Army plan to reconstruct and renovate mosques and shrines in Jammu and Kashmir under its 'Operation Sadhbhavna' was finally set at rest after the military decided to abandon its 'goodwill' campaign.

The Army plan had ignited a widespread anger among the Muslim clerics who threatened to launch mass agitation across the troubled state if the move was not immediately shelved.

A top cleric of Jammu and Kashmir even issued a 'fatwa (decree),' calling upon Muslims to resist the move 'tooth and nail.'

So far, about Rs 55 lakh has been spent on construction and renovation of eleven shrines, including that of Ayatollah Aga Syed Mehdi at Budgam, over the past three years in the Kashmir valley.

This shrine was renovated at a cost of Rs 18 lakh.

However, the Army on Monday decided to abandon the 'goodwill' plan, thus setting at rest a major religious issue, which had almost reached a boiling point.

"We will not undertake anything, which hurts the sentiments of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Whatever has been done by the Army was in good faith and on the request of the locals," XV Corps General Officer-in-Commanding (GOC) Lt Gen A S Sekhon told media persons on the sidelines of a function at Ganderbal, about 25 km from Srinagar.

He said the Army was a secular organisation and the campaign was aimed at winning the 'hearts and minds' of the people.

"We are secular and apolitical. We have no hidden agenda and got people from all faiths. We have full respect for all faith. It has never been our intention to interfere in the religious affairs of the people of the state," Gen Sekhon added.

However, he said the Army's primary duty was to safeguard the borders and ensure security of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Commander of the Srinagar-based Chinar Corps asserted that there was no cause for concern on the recent increase in violence in the state, saying the Army was in total control of the situation.

"There is no change in pattern of incidents in this summer as witnessed last year. We will do our best in coordination with the state government and other security agencies to keep the situation under control," he added.

Gen Sekhon said the popularity of Operation Sadhbhavna could be gauged from the fact that requests for executing projects, including health camps, were pouring in from all sections of society.

In his 'fatwa' on May 28, the Grand Mufti of Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti Mohammad Bashir-ud-din, declared that no donation should be accepted from a non-Muslim, whether in civvies or uniform, for construction or renovation of shrines and mosques in the state.

The decree also asked the people to return the money spent by the Army on the construction and renovation of religious institutions.

He said the 'Shari'at (Islamic Law)' did not allow any person other than a Muslim to carry out such acts.

"It has come to my notice that the Army and other security forces located in Jammu and Kashmir are planning to renovate, reconstruct and construct mosques and shrines under the garb of Operation Sadhbhavna," the Grand Mufti said in the decree.

This action, if done, would be contrary to the tenets of Islam and construed as "naked interference" in the religious affairs of the Muslims, the Mufti said.

"In my capacity as the Mufti Azam (Grand Mufti) of Jammu and Kashmir, I declare that this should be treated as verdict within the purview of Islamic Shari'at that no person or organisation other than an Islamic one can construct, reconstruct, renovate any mosque or shrine. If done so, the move will be treated as undue interference in our religious affairs.

"I, therefore, appeal to all the Muslims in general and Islamic clerics, scholars and Imams (priests) in particular to resist such plans tooth and nail," the Grand Mufti said in the fatwa.

He said the decree, issued by the office of Supreme Court of Islamic Shariat (Central Dar-ul-Fatwa) Jammu and Kashmir, has been endorsed by the Muslim Personal Law Board and the Nadwat-ul-Ulema.

"There is no denying that the Army and other security forces have inflicted maximum injury to the Muslim community in the state for the past about two decades. Therefore, such steps (renovation of shrines and mosques) by the Army and other security agencies are nothing but a conspiracy against the Muslim community and should be resisted with iron hands," the Mufti said.