Mehbooba Mufti Slams Centre Over Rising Communal Tensions, Inflation, and Unemployment

By A Staff Reporter

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti launched a scathing attack on the central government during a public meeting in Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir, accusing it of fostering communal division while failing to address the country’s most pressing issues, including inflation and unemployment.

“There are many issues in the country—there is inflation, unemployment at its peak. The Centre had vowed to address these issues, but that did not happen,” Mufti said. Shifting focus to what she called a disturbing communal narrative, she added, “They are now calling Muslims as their biggest enemy. They started demolishing Masjids, homes, shops, then they attacked the Waqf.”

Mufti also expressed alarm over the alleged encroachment on Muslim religious sites, citing incidents such as the partial demolition of a dargah in Nashik and the symbolic claim over Ajmer Sharif. “They are also calling Ajmer Sharif as their own. A part of Dargah was demolished in Nashik. This is the situation in the country,” she remarked.

Reflecting on Jammu and Kashmir’s historic decision to accede to India, Mufti said the region’s Muslim community was drawn to the idea of a secular India envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi. “When J&K held the hands of India, the situation was like—Ram Lala's clothes were tailored by Muslims, Lord Ganesha's idols were made by Muslims… Muslims in J&K joined India seeing the India of Gandhi, where Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, and Isai lived together,” she said, lamenting that the present climate no longer reflects that ideal.