The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday seized signboards that were displayed in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk to urge tourists to “respect local culture and traditions” and “avoid alcohol and use of drugs”.

The signboards were put up amid increasing calls for a liquor ban in the Union Territory, reported The Indian Express.

On Saturday, People’s Democratic Party leader Iltija Mufti reiterated the call for such a ban. Several MLAs have already submitted private members bills in the Assembly calling for a liquor ban in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the state budget session on March 3.

Lal Chowk, with its iconic clock tower, is a popular tourist attraction in Srinagar.

The signboards were erected earlier on Friday by a traders group.

“The Traders Association Central Lal Chowk invites you to experience the beauty of our heaven on earth,” the signboards read. “For a memorable and enjoyable trip, we kindly request: Love and cherish your family, avoid liquor, drugs, spitting on roads and smoking. Respect our culture and traditions. Stay blessed and enjoy time in our enchanting city.”

After pictures of the posters were shared widely on social media, the police removed them on Friday evening, reported The Indian Express citing a shopkeeper.

“Alcohol is wrecking lives & families in J&K,” Mufti subsequently wrote on X. “We must come together to put an end to it before it’s too late.”

Mufti called the police action “completely unwarranted”.

“There are multiple videos of inebriated tourists – some are peeing into the Dal Lake,” The Indian Express quoted her as saying. “This is just not about alcohol. It’s also about respecting basic societal norms and etiquette. If Gujarat can be declared a dry state, the logic is more strong for a Muslim-majority Union Territory like J&K.”

The move was criticised by political leaders across party lines.

National Conference leader and Srinagar MP Aga Ruhullah said that the people of Kashmir have a “right to preserve and protect their culture and faith”.

“The colonial L-G [lieutenant governor] administration in cahoots with the security forces, has turned Kashmir into an Orwellian nightmare – where people can’t protest, safeguard their identity or even speak for their culture,” Ruhullah wrote on X on Saturday.

“Even appealing to tourists to respect local sensitivities is now illegal in Kashmir,” he added. “Will @JmuKmrPolice [Jammu and Kashmir Police] clarify which law was violated by the signboard? Or is the only law in place the one that silences Kashmiris?”

Ruhullah warned that “suppression breeds resentment” and that the “more you push Kashmiris to the wall, the stronger their will to break it down”.

Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a prominent religious figure in the valley, called the police action “strange and unfortunate” and questioned its underlying motive.

“Why were the signboards seized?” Farooq asked. “What exactly is wrong in urging tourists to respect local culture, avoid alcohol and use of drugs, and keep the city clean? Is promoting moral values and decency now a crime in Kashmir?”

Three MLAs, including Ahsan Pardesi of the ruling National Conference, have introduced separate private members’ Bills in the Assembly calling for a liquor ban in the Union Territory.