Iltija Mufti, daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and President of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti (File)
Peoples Democratic Party leader Iltija Mufti, the daughter of former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, found herself at the centre of a row after she termed Hindutva a “disease” in a comment on social media. She was responding to a video purportedly showing three boys being assaulted and forced to chant “Jai Shri Ram” in Madhya Pradesh.
The BJP demanded an apology from Iltija for the comment, calling her words “derogatory”.
Sharing the video on X, Iltija on Saturday lamented that “minor Muslim boys are whacked with chappals only because they refuse to chant” the name of Lord Ram. “Hindutva is a disease that has afflicted millions of Indians and sullied a God’s name,” she said in the post.
In response to her post, BJP leader Ravinder Raina was quoted by PTI as saying that while “there could be a difference of opinion in politics, hurting someone’s religious sentiments is not acceptable.”
“She has used derogatory words in a tweet while reacting to a doctored video,” he said.
Iltija told The Indian Express that she was not apologetic about her remarks, emphasising that Hindutva is not the same as Hinduism.
“There is a fair distinction between Hinduism and Hindutva. Just like the BJP is claiming that the BJP is India, and India is BJP, they are also hijacking Hinduism,” she said.
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“I didn’t talk about a religion, but an ideology. An ideology that relegates minorities and Dalits to the lower strata,” she told The Indian Express, adding, “They are deliberately distorting the line between Hinduism and Hindutva.”
Talking to reporters in Jammu, Iltija said she stood by her comment and repeated it: “I will say it with force, Hindutva is a disease and we need to have a cure for it.”
She said, “Hindutva is a philosophy that used to be spread by Savarkar in the 1940s… That philosophy says India is of the Hindus and for the Hindus. So, there is lot of difference between Hinduism and Hindutva.”
The video she had posted had gone viral last week, prompting members of the Muslim community to stage a protest outside the local police station in Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam district, demanding strict action against those responsible.
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According to police in the district, the video purportedly shows a man hitting the children aged 6, 9, and 11 with a slipper while another person records the incident.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Rakesh Khakha said the video appears to be about a month and a half old.
Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter.
Expertise and Experience
Two Decades of Frontline Reporting: Bashaarat has spent 20 years documenting the evolution of Kashmir, from high-intensity conflict and political shifts to socio-economic development.
Award-Winning Investigative Journalism: He is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award (2012). This honor was bestowed for his reporting on the Pathribal fake encounter, a series of stories that highlighted his ability to handle sensitive human rights and security issues with investigative rigor.
Specialized Beats: His authoritative coverage spans:
Political Transitions: Tracking the shift from statehood to Union Territory, electoral dynamics, and the pulse of local governance.
Security & Conflict: Providing nuanced reporting on counter-insurgency, civil liberties, and the impact of the conflict on the civilian population.
Development: Documenting the infrastructure, healthcare, and educational landscape within the Valley.
Academic Background: He holds a Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Kashmir, providing him with a localized academic and professional foundation that is rare in regional reporting. ... Read More
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