New Delhi [India]: Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) National Spokesperson Vinod Bansal has condemned People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti for her controversial remark calling Hindutva a “disease.” Bansal criticized Mufti’s stance, stating that “anti-India ideology” cannot sustain itself in politics for long.
Bansal told media on Sunday, “You cannot do politics with anti-India ideology for long. Those who are trying to nurture and raise separatists and terrorists through these statements have now been eliminated. That ‘Babarwadi’ mentality and culture of ‘Babri’ have left the country.” He further stated that India is undergoing positive changes and advancing, particularly highlighting the growing involvement of youth in the Kashmir valley.
Bansal added, “Our youth are coming forward for the progress of the country in the Kashmir valley… The entire country along with Jammu and Kashmir is on the path of development… Perhaps due to these reasons and due to the politics of hatred, the party lost badly at both the places it contested the election (J&K Assembly elections).”
Iltija Mufti’s Clarification on Hindutva Remarks
Earlier on Sunday, Iltija Mufti, daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, clarified her earlier post that strongly criticized Hindutva as a “disease.” Her remark was made in response to a purported video showing minor Muslim boys being forced to chant “Jai Shri Ram” and being beaten for refusing.
Mufti had stated, “Ram the deity must hang his head in shame and watch helplessly as minor Muslim boys are whacked with chappals only because they refuse to chant his name.” In her clarification, she drew a clear distinction between Hindutva and Hinduism, explaining that while Hinduism promotes secularism, love, and compassion, Hindutva is an ideology of hate.
Mufti said, “There is a lot of difference between Hindutva and Hinduism. Hindutva is a philosophy of hate that Veer Savarkar spread in India in the 1940s with the aim of establishing the hegemony of Hindus, and the philosophy was that India belongs to Hindus and is for Hindus. Like Islam, Hinduism is also a religion that promotes secularism, love, and compassion. So, let’s not deliberately distort it.”
She also criticized the use of the slogan “Jai Shri Ram”, saying it is being exploited as a tool to stir hatred, rather than embodying the ideals of “Ramrajya”.