Jammu: The country could not produce another Mahatma Gandhi in the last 75 years, but the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made many Nathuram Godses in the last decade, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti said on Friday.
Mufti was replying to a volley of questions about BJP’s poster portraying Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as a ‘new age Ravan’.
Speaking to reporters here, Mufti said that any person who would have put out a similar poster showing a BJP leader would have been “jailed immediately without any case or investigation” and would also be denied bail.
In a poster on X, the BJP depicted Gandhi as a ‘new age Ravan’, triggering strong criticism from Congress that called it totally “unacceptable” and “downright dangerous”.
The PDP supremo said that the BJP’s actions stem from their frustration with the opposition alliance INDIA.
“It shows their (BJP’s) frustration. They are totally frustrated with the I.N.D.I.A alliance. In the heart of hearts, they know the tactics they played, including the divide between Hindus and Muslims, have failed”, she added.
Hitting out at the BJP for targeting Rahul Gandhi’s efforts to promote Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals in the country, Mufti expressed concern over the increase in people with Godse-like ideology in recent years.
“One person is working hard in this country against the ideology of Godse. They are targeting him. 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,” she said.
She added that it was getting “difficult to breathe” in such an environment.
She questioned the BJP’s claim to uphold the ‘Sanatan Dharma’, asking if their actions truly reflect its teachings.
Mufti emphasised the importance of practising Vasudev Kutumbakam — the belief that the entire world is one family — which she felt the BJP fell short of in their actions.
“They are the people who swear in the name of Sanatan Dharma. Do they know what Sanatam Dharma is? Is this what Sanatam Dharma teaches us, to portray your opponent as Ravan?” the PDP chief asked.
“Sanatan Dharma teaches us Vasudev Kutumbakam. Who are they treating as a family?”, she questioned.
Mufti pointed towards the contrast between public displays of respect for mosques and Muslim leaders by BJP members outside India and the alleged instances of lynching and misinformation within the country.
“They are paying respects in mosques and hugging Muslim leaders outside. But here they are lynching the Muslims. They spread lies, Mufti said.
She claimed that the BJP was provoking young people to “lynch Muslims in the name of Jai Shri Ram”.
“They use the holy name of Jai Shri Ram in a bad way. They should feel ashamed of their acts”, she said, hitting out at the saffron party.
Mufti accused the BJP of imposing several burdens on Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh through measures such as toll taxes, smart meters, and property taxes in Jammu. She decried the outsourcing of contracts, which she argued has adversely affected local businesses.
Asserting that the BJP’s policies have eroded the foundations of the region, leading to negative headlines for the wrong reasons, Mufti called for a “re-evaluation of priorities to restore harmony and prosperity” in the Union Territory.
With inputs from PTI