Sri Lanka crisis a wake up call against religious majoritarianism: Mehbooba Mufti

Peoples’ Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti said the situation in Sri Lanka should serve as a wake up call for India and the BJP government as the country was treading the same path of religious majoritarianism and hyper nationalism as the island country

Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday said the situation in Sri Lanka should serve as a wake up call for India and the BJP government as the country was treading the same path of religious majoritarianism and hyper nationalism as the island country.

Says since Since 2014, India is being whipped into a communal frenzy and imagined fears. (File Photo)

The former J&K chief minister said, “The leaders in Sri Lanka played the religious card and pitched Buddhists, Christian and Muslims against each other. In India too, the BJP has been pitting Hindus against Muslims. I hope that the BJP-led government learns from what is happening in Sri Lanka and puts an end to communal tension and majoritarianism.”

Taking to Twitter, the former J&K chief minister said, “Since 2014, India is being whipped into a communal frenzy & imagined fears. It is treading the same path of hyper nationalism & religious majoritarianism. All at the cost of disrupting social cohesion & economic security (sic).”

“If the government does not stop slapping sedition charges on journalists, students, activists and politicians, the situation is likely to worsen in India. If taking away mosques and monuments such as the Taj Mahal, Red Fort and Qutab Minar, the country’s unemployment, inflation and poverty goes away, then Muslims should allow them to take these places.”

She called the bulldozing of minorities’ houses unfortunate. “The judiciary is not coming forward to take suo-moto cognizance of such incidents. I hope justice is done,” she said.