Must stop Hindu fringe groups, like IS misusing Islam: Mehbooba

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When people are trying to fight a battle against rising prices… don’t get onions, and suddenly some people start dictating as to which meat should one consume. This is not done. This is not acceptable,” said Mufti.

Must stop Hindu fringe groups, like IS misusing Islam - MehboobaMehbooba Mufti, president of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), an ally of the BJP in the Jammu and Kashmir government, said on Saturday that fringe elements “misusing the name of Hinduism” need to be checked, and made a comparison to the Islamic State (IS) “misusing the name of Islam”.

Asked how the fringe elements could be checked, she said the Bihar elections had done a “great job” in doing that.

“Tolerance is the strength of India and if we don’t stop these so-called fringe elements… What is happening in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq… because those are also fringe elements who are misusing the name of Islam. In our country, as well, the fringe elements are misusing the name of Hinduism and they are calling it nationalism which is worse,” she said, speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.

Even if some of those behind statements like “go to Pakistan” are Union ministers, “the mentality is the same (as that of the fringe elements),” she said.

Criticising the BJP government in some states which have propagated a beef ban, she said: “When people are trying to fight a battle against rising prices… don’t get onions, and suddenly some people start dictating as to which meat should one consume. This is not done. This is not acceptable.”

Asked about the death of a young trucker in J&K, who was attacked after rumours of cow slaughter, she said: “The murderers have been booked under Section 302. This is what counts. Statements can be there, but at the end it’s the action that counts.”

About reports of some youths displaying the IS flag in the Valley, she said: “As far as IS and other things are concerned, it sounds very ridiculous. Some guys who had displayed IS flags were arrested… It was only to catch attention,” she said.

The IS, said Mehbooba, would never be acceptable in Kashmir which has a tradition of Sufism. “I think Sufism and Kashmiriyat that we have will be there. IS is against the very basis of Islam. They are destroying everything that Islam holds dear. So I don’t think Kashmiris will ever follow what IS stands for. It stands for murder, rape,” she said.

On the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley, Mehbooba said the state government was in the process of building apartments, wherein 50 per cent would be given to them. “People in India need to invest in Jammu and Kashmir’s peace,” she said.

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