Last Updated:December 09, 2024, 09:13 IST

Iltija Mufti, daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, stirred a political row with her remarks on Hindutva.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday lashed out at People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti over her recent “Hindutva is a disease” remark, saying that those “unaware of India’s culture and heritage must be given a lesson on Sanatana culture once again.”

Iltija Mufti, daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, stirred a political row with her remarks on Hindutva, which came as she reacted to a video of 3 minor boys being forced to chant religious slogans in Madhya Pradesh went viral on social media. CNN-News18 could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.

“Ram the deity must hang his head in shame and watch helplessly as minor Muslim boys are whacked with chappals only because they refuse to chant his name. Hindutva is a disease that’s afflicted millions of Indians & sullied God’s name,” Iltija Mufti said reacting to the viral video.

Submitting a sharp response to Mufti’s remark, BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, “Those who are unaware of India’s culture and heritage need to be given a message about Sanatana culture once again. Hindutva gives a message of taking all sections of society together and moving forward with inclusive thinking.”

“There is no need to give any knowledge about this. Some people have developed a phobia of Hindutva and those with such a phobia should study about it once,” Naqvi was quoted as saying by India Today.

‘Mufti Must Apologise’

BJP leader Ravindra Raina also reacted to Mufti’s remark on Hindutva and said that the language used by the PDP leader was “derogatory” and asked her to submit an apology for the comment.

“PDP leader has used a very derogatory language. This kind of language should not be used. There might be differences of opinion in politics but derogatory language should not be used…PDP leader Iltija Mufti should apologise for her remarks,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

West Bengal BJP leader and MLA Agnimitra Paul also slammed the PDP leader, alleging her family of consistently speaking out against India and Hindutva.

“Mehbooba Mufti and her daughter always speak against India. Recently, Mehbooba Mufti compared Gaza and Bangladesh to India, and now Iltija Mufti is comparing Islam with Hinduism. This is an insult to both religions,” Paul said.

Mufti Clarifies Her Remark

After facing backlash over her remark from the BJP leaders, Iltija Mufti clarified her statement, drawing a difference between Hindutva and Hinduism.

“This is an India of Mahatma Gandhi. I have spoken against Hindutva, not Hinduism. I have spoken against Veer Savarkar’s philosophy that India is only for Hindus. I know Hinduism is a religion that promotes peace and compassion. I am against Hindutva as it is a disease that needs to be weeded out.”

In the recently held assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, she contested from the Bijbehara seat. She lost the election to her National Conference rival, Bashir Ahmad Shah Veeri.

Location :

Jammu and Kashmir, India

Last Updated:December 08, 2024, 23:30 IST

The BJP accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of resorting to “baseless rhetoric”

Ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls, the AAP on Sunday accused the BJP of settling Rohingya refugees in the city while publicly vilifying them.

Reacting to the allegation, the BJP said the real issue is not the settlement of legal refugees but the presence of millions of illegally-residing Rohingya Muslims and Bangladeshis not only in Delhi but also in other states and accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of resorting to “baseless rhetoric”.

In a statement, senior AAP leaders, including Chief Minister Atishi, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, pointed to a 2022 post on X by Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri as evidence of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) involvement in housing Rohingya Muslims in EWS (Economically Weaker Section) flats in Delhi’s Bakkarwala area.

“Hardeep Puri’s tweet proves that the BJP conspired to settle Rohingyas in Delhi while pretending to oppose them. They provided EWS flats, security and facilities to them but misled the public with their hate rhetoric. This is the BJP’s dirty and deceitful politics,” Sisodia said in a post in Hindi on X.

Atishi echoed similar sentiments and said, “The BJP was so desperate to accuse Arvind Kejriwal that they forgot their own role in bringing and settling Rohingyas in Delhi. Hardeep Puri’s tweet has exposed the truth to the people of Delhi.” “On August 17, 2022, Union minister Hardeep Puri had tweeted that India has a tradition of welcoming refugees and announced plans to relocate Rohingyas to EWS flats in Delhi, ensuring them basic amenities, UNHCR IDs and security. This contradicts the BJP’s public stance on the issue,” the statement said.

Singh said, “Delhiites can now see who truly brought and settled Rohingyas in the city. The BJP’s duplicity stands exposed.” Other AAP leaders, including Sandeep Pathak, Raghav Chadha and Gopal Rai, also took to social media to slam the BJP, accusing it of indulging in divisive politics.

Reacting to the allegation, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said ever since his party launched a campaign to disenfranchise illegally-residing Rohingya Muslims and Bangladeshis and expel them from the country, Kejriwal and other AAP leaders have been resorting to a baseless rhetoric to divert the attention of people from the core issues affecting Delhi.

“The real issue is not the settlement of legal refugees but the presence of millions of illegally-residing Rohingyas and Bangladeshis, not just in Delhi but also in states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jharkhand,” Sachdeva was quoted as saying in statement issued by the BJP.

The AAP had raised the issue of Rohingya infiltrators even in 2022, the BJP leaqder said, adding, “Back then, we had said, and we reiterate now, that refugees are a separate matter, but infiltrators should be kept in detention camps, not in flats.” The controversy comes as political tensions rise ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls due in February, with both the AAP and the BJP accusing each other of misleading the public.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)

Last Updated:December 08, 2024, 22:20 IST

The BJP claimed that Sonia Gandhi, as the co-president of the Forum of the Democratic Leaders in Asia Pacific Foundation, is linked to an organisation financed by the George Soros Foundation

The BJP on Sunday alleged that former Congress president Sonia Gandhi has links to an organisation financed by the George Soros Foundation and which has backed the idea of Kashmir as an independent nation.

This association shows the influence of foreign entities in India’s internal affairs, the ruling party said in a series of posts on X.

Meanwhile, notwithstanding the US’ dismissal of BJP’s allegations that it is backing attempts to destabilise India, party MP Nishikant Dubey said he would pose 10 questions to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha on the issue.

He said media portal Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and Hungarian-American businessman have colluded with the opposition to ruin India’s economy and defame the Modi government.

The BJP claimed that Sonia Gandhi, as the co-president of the Forum of the Democratic Leaders in Asia Pacific (FDL-AP) Foundation, is linked to an organisation financed by the George Soros Foundation.

“Notably, the FDL-AP Foundation has expressed their views that treat Kashmir as a separate entity,” the party said.

“This association between Sonia Gandhi and an organisation that has backed the idea of Kashmir as an independent nation expresses the influence of foreign entities on India’s internal affairs and the political impact of such connections,” it said.

The BJP further claimed that Sonia Gandhi’s chairmanship of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation led to a partnership with the George Soros Foundation, “displaying the influence of foreign funding on Indian organisations”.

“Rahul Gandhi’s press conference on Adani was live telecast by George Soros-funded OCCRP, which Gandhi used as a source to criticise Adani. It shows nothing but their strong and dangerous relationship and highlights their attempts to derail the Indian economy.

“Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has publicly acknowledged George Soros as an ‘old friend’. It’s something truly noteworthy,” it said.

The BJP’s allegations come after it claimed on Thursday that the US “deep state” colluded with OCCRP and Rahul Gandhi to damage India’s image.

The US on Saturday rejected BJP’s allegations that organisations funded by its State Department and elements in the American “deep state” were behind attempts to destabilise India through targeted attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and business tycoon Gautam Adani.

A spokesperson at the US embassy described the allegations as “disappointing” and asserted that the US government has been a champion of media freedom around the world.

Reacting to the US embassy’s statement, BJP MP Dubey said, “Yesterday I read the statement of the US embassy officials again and again. They admitted that the US government funds OCCRP and Soros’ foundation also funds it.” The job of OCCRP and Soros is to ruin India’s economy and defame the Modi government in connivance with opposition leaders, he said in his post on X in Hindi.

“After yesterday’s statement, I will have to ask Rahul Gandhi my 10 questions in the Lok Sabha. The opposition is trying to suppress my voice in Parliament. Lok Sabha Rule 357 gives me the right to ask questions. Waiting for tomorrow,” the MP said.

The BJP has cited Gandhi’s use of OCCRP reports to attack the Adani Group and accuse it of having closeness with the government.

“It’s disappointing that the ruling party in India would make these kinds of accusations,” the US embassy spokesperson said on Saturday.

“The US government works with independent organisations on programming that supports professional development and capacity building training for journalists. This programming does not influence the editorial decisions or direction of these organisations,” the official said.

OCCRP, headquartered in Amsterdam, is a media platform that largely focuses on stories relating to crime and corruption.

Last month, US prosecutors charged Adani, 62, his nephew Sagar and other defendants for paying over USD 250 million in bribes between 2020 and 2024 to Indian government officials to win solar energy contracts on terms that could potentially bring in more than USD 2 billion in profit. The Adani Group has dismissed the charges as “baseless”.

The opposition Congress has accused the government of shielding the businessman and it is pressing for the setting up of a Joint Parliamentary Committee for a thorough investigation into the allegations.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)