India, Feb. 21 -- Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday strongly defended a recent order by the Kishtwar district administration aimed at regulating the collection of donations during the holy month of Ramzan. Omar also sounded a word of caution, asking political leaders, including those of his own party, not to "politicise religious matters."

The District Magistrate, Kishtwar, Pankaj Kumar Sharma in his order had stated that "the tradition of Zakat and Sadaqah (charitable giving) is an integral and sacred facet of the religious and social fabric during Ramzan; any act of artifice, misrepresentation, or fraudulent solicitation of funds not only desecrates the sanctity of the holy month but also exploits the altruism of...