Kargil, The Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust (IKMT) in Kargil, within the Ladakh region of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, has called for legal action against a Delhi-based publisher for derogatory references made about Ayatollah Khomeini in a school textbook.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the offensive content appeared in a 6th-class textbook published by Q Connect Books/Acuber and has since spread across social media, sparking significant backlash among the Shia Muslim community in Ladakh and broader India. IKMT, in a press release and a subsequent press conference, voiced strong condemnation of the publishers and those involved in the publication process, highlighting the deep hurt such content has caused to Shia Muslims globally.

The trust has dismissed any apologies from the involved parties, instead demanding stringent legal consequences and the immediate withdrawal of all copies of the textbook from circulation. The controversy stems from an inflammatory listing in the textbook that categorizes the late Iranian leader among the “most evil” individuals, an assertion that has drawn sharp criticism and street protests from the Shia community, particularly in regions like Budgam town and Zadibal quarter of Srinagar.

The situation has escalated with local NGO, Idara-e-Falah-e-Aam, denouncing the portrayal as part of a dangerous trend that utilizes education to foster religious animosity, calling for prompt and decisive action against the publisher.