'Loudspeaker, Hijab, Halal All Part of BJP's Agenda': Mehbooba Mufti

PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti. Image used for representative purposes. 

(Photo: PTI)

Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti on Friday, 29 April, criticised the ruling party over the recent spate of communal incidents in the country.

"They can't provide jobs or do anything about inflation. There is crisis for electricity and water. So, the easiest thing to do is to pit Hindus-Muslims against each other, talk about loudspeakers, hijab & halal," she was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Mufti further said that the central government was attacking the "secular fabric" of the country, and that religion is being misused to destroy people.

'Pakistan Was Destroyed Misusing Religion': Mufti

Referring to how the Partition of 1947, the PDP leader was quoted as saying:

"Our neighbouring country was destroyed by misusing religion at that time. To date, they're bearing its brunt. They gave guns to people in name of religion. The same is happening in our country. Bulldozers being used and swords being given to people in the name of religion."

"If this continues, our situation in future will be bad," she warned.

Mufti also took to Twitter to criticise a letter issuing diktats on hijab in J&K, saying that the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) cannot repeat in the state what they did in Karnataka.

"I condemn this letter issuing diktats on hijab. J&K may be ruled by BJP but its certainly not like any other state where they bulldoze the houses of minorities and not allow them the freedom to dress as they want. Our girls will not give up their right to choose," she wrote.

"Our country is based on a secular foundation. Secularism is in our DNA. BJP is trying to tear apart the secular fabric but DNA is going to be there," Mufti said, ANI reported.

This comes a day after Omar Abdullah had asserted that the present-day India is not the country that J&K had acceded to, adding that the decision "would have been something else" if people had known that the Muslim community's religious rights "will not be protected" in this country.

(With inputs from ANI.)