Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and PDP president, Mehbooba Mufti, on Friday criticized the BJP and its alleged promotion of individuals with extremist ideologies. She claimed that the BJP had produced many individuals with ideologies similar to Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, in the last decade.
Mufti’s comments came in response to a BJP poster portraying Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as a ‘new age Ravana,’ which she viewed as a sign of BJP’s frustration with the opposition and their divisive tactics.
She expressed concern over the rise of individuals with Godse-like ideologies in recent years and contrasted this with Rahul Gandhi’s efforts to promote Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals.
She stated, “You (BJP) produced the army of Godse. He tries to become Gandhi. We could not produce Gandhi in the last 70 to 75 years, but they produced a number of Godses in the last 10 years.”
Mufti stressed the importance of the principle of Vasudev Kutumbakam, which means “the entire world is one family,” and criticized the BJP for not adhering to this principle. She questioned whether the BJP, which claims to uphold the values of Sanatan Dharma, truly understands the teachings of this ancient philosophy, given their portrayal of political opponents as Ravana.
Mufti accused the BJP of burdening Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh with measures like toll taxes, smart meters, and property taxes, as well as outsourcing contracts, which she argued adversely affected local businesses.
Mufti also criticized the Chief Secretary’s statement about “undeserving candidates” being given government jobs in Jammu and Kashmir through illegal and backdoor means. She called for a thorough investigation and urged the Chief Secretary to disclose the identity of individuals responsible for such appointments if the allegations were true.
Mufti also raised questions about the recruitment processes for various positions in the Finance Department and pointed to allegations of financial irregularities in the Jal Shakti Department. She called upon the Chief Secretary to address these accusations.
