Former Chief Minister and PDP President Mehbooba Mufti criticized Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s welcoming of Union Minister Kiren Rijiju in Srinagar, arguing it validated the controversial Waqf Amendment Bill.
Mufti urged the ruling alliance to instead pass a resolution opposing the bill, stating on X, “With the assembly session nearing its end, the ruling alliance should prioritize rejecting this bill rather than engaging in political showmanship.”
She specifically questioned the “red-carpet welcome” given to Rijiju, interpreting it as a message to India’s Muslim population that their concerns are disregarded. “After pushing the Waqf Amendment Bill through Parliament, Minister Kiren Rijiju’s visit to Kashmir, and the Chief Minister’s warm reception, appeared designed to signal to 24 crore Muslims that their opinions are inconsequential, especially when the leader of the country’s only Muslim-majority region shows support,” she stated.
Mufti further characterized Rijiju’s visit to the Tulip Garden in Srinagar as a public display of Muslim disempowerment. “The visit, set against the backdrop of Asia’s largest Tulip Garden, felt like a public celebration of the community’s marginalization. The Chief Minister’s actions intensified feelings of alienation and helplessness within the Muslim community and legitimized a unilateral decision widely seen as dismissive of their interests,” she concluded.
