Mehbooba Mufti, the President of the People’s Democratic Party and former chief minister, criticized the BJP’s assertion of normalcy, citing the closure of the historic Jama Masjid on Jumat-ul-Vida and the house arrest of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. She described the BJP’s actions as transforming the entirety of Jammu and Kashmir into a prison.
Addressing media at Dargah Hazratbal, Mehbooba, as reported by Kashmir News Service (KNS), voiced her dismay over the shutdown of the Jama Masjid and the confinement of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. She expressed deep concern about the future of Muslims nationwide in light of such measures by the BJP government.
“Jama Masjid, a symbol of our heritage, remained shut. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq remains under house arrest. Mosques are being demolished, and Madrasas are being shuttered. Muslims are being subjected to violence and coerced into adopting beliefs contrary to their own. Such a climate of intolerance poses a grave threat to the Muslim community,” Mehbooba stated, according to KNS.
She underscored her apprehensions regarding the escalating hostility towards Muslims and the perceived danger it poses to their future.
Mehbooba highlighted the ongoing actions initiated by the BJP post-August 5, 2019, asserting that they contradict the BJP’s claims of normalcy in the region. Instead, she argued, the BJP has imposed draconian measures, effectively imprisoning the entire populace of Jammu and Kashmir.
