We quit because our music made people of Kashmir, Mufti unhappy: girl band

Members of the Kashmir girls band Pragaash have said they quit because of the people of Kashmir.

''We din't know the people of Kashmir were unhappy because of our music. Muftisaab has said our music is un-Islamic. We respect him and the people of Kashmir. That is why we have quit,'' one of the girls told Times Now.

She also told the channel that all bands in Kashmir have disbanded in their support.

Pragaash (light), the first all-girls rock band of Kashmir, yesterday decided to call it quits in the wake of a 'fatwa' issued by Grand Mufti terming singing as un-islamic.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was among a large number of political leaders who extended their 'unflinching' support to the girls, urging them not to quit singing because of a 'bunch of morons'. The hardline Hurriyat led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani also criticised the Grand Mufti.

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Police has registered a case and identified several Facebook users who posted abusive and threatening messages on the page of the only all-girls rock band of the Valley.

"A case under Section 66 A of the IT Act and Section 506 RPC (Criminal Intimidation) has been registered in police station Rajbagh with regard to the hate messages posted on the Facebook page of the Pragaash band," a police spokesman said today. He said investigations are on in full swing but refused to give any details.

An official close to the investigation said the police have been able to identify at least six people who posted the hate messages. "Efforts are on to identify the others," the official said on the condition of anonymity.

He said the Facebook page of the band had received a large number of posts -- mostly critical -- and it would take some time to sift through all of them. "Arrests are likely to be made in the next couple of days," he added.

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