What Happened
- Following the US-Israel joint air strikes on Iran (February 28, 2026) and the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, mass protests broke out across the Kashmir Valley on March 1-2, 2026.
- Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets at Lal Chowk (Srinagar), Saida Kadal, Budgam, Bandipora, Anantnag, and Pulwama, with Shia Muslims leading the mourning marches and protests against the killing.
- The Jammu & Kashmir Police issued a public appeal urging residents to exercise restraint and refrain from violence or provocative acts, and deployed large numbers of police and CRPF personnel across Srinagar and other protest hotspots.
- Authorities imposed restrictions on the movement of people in parts of the Valley where protests were most intense; the Lieutenant Governor's office put officials on high alert.
- FIRs were registered against certain media outlets and individuals for allegedly circulating misleading information with intent to incite unrest.
- The National Investigation Agency (NIA) noted that the J&K unrest following Khamenei's killing delayed certain ongoing terror investigations in Delhi courts.
Static Topic Bridges
Public Order and Section 144 CrPC in J&K
Maintaining public order is a State (or Union Territory) subject under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution (Entry 1, State List). In J&K (now a UT with a legislature), the Lieutenant Governor holds executive authority for public order and police as a "law and order" UT subject reserved with the Centre. Authorities impose prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973 — now being replaced by the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 (Section 163 of BNSS) — to prevent assembly of five or more persons when there is apprehension of violence or public disorder. The Public Safety Act (PSA), 1978, specific to J&K, allows detention for up to two years without trial for persons deemed a threat to public order or state security.
- Section 144 CrPC / Section 163 BNSS 2023: magistrate can issue prohibitory order for up to 2 months
- PSA, 1978: J&K-specific; administrative detention without trial for 3-6 months (public order) or up to 2 years (national security)
- J&K is a Union Territory with legislature under the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019
- Police and public order in J&K: subject reserved with the Centre (LG), not the elected government
Connection to this news: The J&K police and administration's swift imposition of movement restrictions and deployment of CRPF in response to the Khamenei protests reflects the exercise of these legal instruments — Section 144/163 and the heightened security posture maintained under the post-2019 UT framework.
Shia Muslims in India and the Sectarian Dimension
India has a Shia Muslim population estimated at 15-20% of the country's total Muslim population (approximately 25-35 million Shia Muslims), with significant concentrations in Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow, the historic seat of Shia learning in South Asia), Bihar, Rajasthan, and Jammu & Kashmir. Kashmir's Muslim population is predominantly Sunni, but a Shia minority exists particularly in the Ladakh and Kargil regions and in some urban pockets of the Valley. Ayatollah Khamenei, as Iran's Supreme Leader and the Wali-ul-Amr al-Muslimeen (guardian of the Muslim world), holds immense religious authority for Shia Muslims globally. His killing was treated as a profoundly grievous event by Shia communities, triggering mourning processions across India including Maharashtra, Delhi, UP, Bihar, Karnataka, and J&K.
- Indian Shia population: estimated 15-20% of India's Muslim population (~25-35 million)
- Lucknow: historic centre of South Asian Shia scholarship and culture (Imambara, Muharram observances)
- Protests erupted in Bihar, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, J&K, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Ladakh, MP, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and UP
- Iran's Supreme Leader designated "Wali-ul-Amr al-Muslimeen" under Iran's 1979 constitution (Principle of Velayat-e-Faqih)
Connection to this news: The Valley protests over Khamenei's killing are both a religious expression of Shia grief and a political statement against the US-Israel action — the J&K administration's response reflects the challenge of managing the intersection of religious sentiment and geopolitically-charged protest in a sensitive border UT.
National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Terror Investigation Continuity
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) was established under the NIA Act, 2008 as India's premier counter-terrorism investigation body with jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute offences under specified laws including the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, and others. NIA cases are tried in NIA Special Courts designated in each state. The agency operates without prior state government consent for taking up cases involving national security. The NIA's flagging that J&K unrest delayed Delhi terror probe proceedings illustrates how domestic security disturbances have cascading effects on judicial timelines in terrorism cases.
- NIA Act, 2008: enacted after 26/11 Mumbai attacks; NIA headquartered in New Delhi
- NIA can suo motu take up cases or on Centre's direction; state police hand over cases to NIA
- UAPA, 1967 (amended 2019): key law under which NIA investigates — allows designation of individuals as terrorists
- NIA Special Courts: designated under Section 11 of NIA Act for expeditious trial
Connection to this news: The mention of NIA investigations being delayed by J&K unrest underscores the domino effect of geopolitical conflicts on India's internal security apparatus — an important linkage for Mains GS3 essay-type questions on internal security.
CRPF Deployment and Central Armed Police Forces in J&K
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), established under the CRPF Act, 1949, is India's largest Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) and is the primary federal paramilitary force deployed for internal security, counter-insurgency, and crowd control. In J&K, CRPF operates under the Home Ministry and is deployed alongside the J&K Police. Post the 2019 abrogation of Article 370, J&K saw sustained CRPF deployment as the UT transitioned to the new administrative framework. CRPF battalions in J&K are routinely deployed for counter-insurgency operations in the hinterland and for maintaining public order in urban areas during periods of heightened tension.
- CRPF: established 1949; India's largest CAPF with 246+ battalions
- Operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs
- J&K deployment: ongoing under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1990, which remains partially in force in J&K
- AFSPA grants special powers to security forces in "disturbed areas" including search, arrest, and use of force
Connection to this news: The rapid deployment of CRPF alongside J&K Police to prevent protest violence is a standard tool of the Indian internal security establishment — but it also highlights the enduring reliance on central paramilitary forces for law and order in J&K, a politically sensitive governance dimension.
Key Facts & Data
- US-Israel strikes on Iran, Khamenei killed: February 28, 2026
- Valley protests erupted: March 1-2, 2026 — Lal Chowk, Budgam, Bandipora, Anantnag, Pulwama
- J&K Police + CRPF personnel deployed across Srinagar city
- Restrictions on movement imposed in protest-hit parts of the Valley
- FIRs registered against media outlets/individuals for misleading information
- NIA: J&K unrest delayed Delhi terror probe court proceedings
- Protests held across 12+ states: Bihar, Delhi, Karnataka, UP, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, others
- PSA, 1978 (J&K): allows detention without trial up to 2 years for national security threats