pito 777 gaming PDP Leader Iltija Mufti's Social Media Post On Hindutva Draws Backlash

Iltija Mufti's Social Media Post On Hindutva Draws Backlash | Photo: X/Iltija Mufti Iltija Mufti's Social Media Post On Hindutva Draws Backlash | Photo: X/Iltija Mufti

Peoples Democratic Party leader Iltija Mufti, daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, found herself at the center of controversy after calling Hindutva a “disease” in a social media post.

"Ram, the deity, must hang his head in shame and watch helplessly as minor Muslim boys are beaten with chappals only because they refuse to chant his name. Hindutva is a disease that has afflicted millions of Indians and sullied God's name," Iltija Mufti said, after a video went viral on social media showing three minor Muslim boys being forced to chant 'Jai Shri Ram' and beaten with chappals in Madhya Pradesh.

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In response, BJP leader Ravinder Raina was quoted by news agency PTI, saying that while “there could be a difference of opinion in politics, hurting someone’s religious sentiments is not acceptable.”

Reacting to Mufti's remark, senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi called Hindutva an integral part of India's culture and heritage.

"Those unaware of India's culture and heritage need to be given a message about Sanatana culture once again. Hindutva promotes the idea of uniting all sections of society and advancing with inclusive thinking," Naqvi said. "There is no need to educate anyone about this. Some people have developed a phobia of Hindutva, and those with such phobias should study it once," he added.

Meanwhile, a Kashmiri Pandit organisation, ‘Youth 4 Panun Kashmir’, announced on Monday that it has filed a police complaint against Iltija Mufti's remarks. The complaint was lodged with the Cyber Crime Cell in Delhi, accusing her of making derogatory and inflammatory statements.

Speaking to reporters in Jammu, Iltija Mufti stood by her comment and reiterated it: “I will say it with force—Hindutva is a disease, and we need a cure for it.”

She added, “Hindutva is a philosophy that was propagated by Savarkar in the 1940s. That philosophy states that India is for the Hindus and of the Hindus. There is a big difference between Hinduism and Hindutva.”

The video she posted had gone viral last week, sparking protests outside the local police station in Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam district, where members of the Muslim community demanded strict action against the perpetrators.

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Iltija Mufti also addressed the backlash on social media platform X, saying: “There’s much outrage over my tweet and also whataboutery about Islam. The senseless violence carried out in the name of Islam is what caused Islamophobia in the first place. Today, Hinduism (not Hindutva) also finds itself in a similar situation, where it is being misused to lynch and persecute minorities. Let’s call a spade a spade.”

Mufti first came into the limelight in 2019, when her mother was incarcerated following the revocation of Article 370. She managed her mother's social media profiles and gave several media interviews.

This yearpito 777 gaming, she contested the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election from the Bijbehara seat but lost to National Conference rival Bashir Ahmad Shah Veeri.