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‘Know my religion': Mehbooba defends temple visit, offering water to Shivling
Mufti Asad Qasmi, national vice-president of Ittehad Ulema-e-Hind, has reportedly raised objections to what the former chief minister has done and called it against the tenets of Islam.
After a video of PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti offering water to Shiva Lingam at Navagraha temple at Poonch on March 15 went viral, she said on Thursday that there was no need make an issue out of it and attributed her act to the secular ethos and Ganga-Jamuni culture of India.
“There are no double standards. We live in a secular nation known for Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb. Yashpal ji (former MLC of the PDP, who passed away in January last year) had constructed a temple and his son wanted me to see it. People of Poonch donated generously for the temple, which is very beautiful. Someone gave me a ‘Lota’ (small round shaped vessel) of water piously asking me to pour it (on Shiv lingam), which I did. How could one refuse to oblige,” she told reporters here.
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On sharp criticism by a Deoband cleric, who called it “un-Islamic”, she said, “I won’t go into it. I know my religion very well. This nation is known for its Ganga-Jamuni culture where Hindus and Muslims live in harmony. Here more Hindus offer Chaddar on Ziarats than Muslims. It is my personal matter.”
Mufti Asad Qasmi, national vice-president of Ittehad Ulema-e-Hind, has reportedly raised objections to what the former chief minister has done and called it against the tenets of Islam.
Situation in India no different from Pak: Mehbooba
Later, speaking at press conference, Mehbooba said like the ruling party in Pakistan is trying to arrest former prime minister Imran Khan, the BJP-led central government here is misusing central agencies to put opposition leaders in jail.
The former chief minister said she is concerned about the difficulties being faced by people in the aftermath of the revocation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories in August 2019.
“Nothing new is happening in Pakistan... it is happening here (India) as well,” Mufti said while responding to a question on the developments in crisis-hit Pakistan where the ruling party is planning to arrest the Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman on corruption charges.
“The situation is not different in India where sitting ministers, former ministers are also jailed... Manish Sisodia (AAP), (Kalvakuntla) Kavitha (daughter of Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao), Lalu Prasad (RJD president), Shiv Sena leaders and others have been targeted (jailed or summoned),” she said.
