Srinagar, 17-04-2025: Former Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has downplayed recent revelations made by former RAW chief A. S. Dulat regarding National Conference (NC) president Dr. Farooq Abdullah’s alleged private support for the abrogation of Article 370. Speaking at a PDP workers’ convention in Srinagar, Mufti stated that the assertions made in Dulat’s forthcoming book, The Chief Minister and the Spy, came as no surprise to her. She recalled that both Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi just two days before the constitutional revocation on August 5, 2019, and pointed out that Dr. Abdullah was notably absent from Parliament on the day of the abrogation, suggesting this absence signified tacit approval or at least unwillingness to oppose the move publicly.
Referring to events from 2014, Mehbooba Mufti also alleged that Omar Abdullah had held talks with Home Minister Amit Shah in a bid to prevent the formation of a government between the PDP and the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir. According to Mufti, the NC leader offered to support the BJP unconditionally in a bid to retain influence, challenging the public narrative that the National Conference was opposed to central interference in J&K’s autonomy.
Mufti further emphasized that during the PDP-BJP coalition from 2015 to 2018, one of the fundamental assurances her party received was that Article 370 would not be altered. She underscored that throughout the coalition’s tenure, the constitutional provision remained intact, indirectly contrasting her party’s stand and impact with that of the NC’s alleged covert compromise.
Transitioning to wider concerns facing the Muslim community across India, Mehbooba Mufti raised objections to the recent amendments to the Waqf Act, and expressed concern over what she described as growing assaults on Islamic religious heritage. Citing instances where mosques and shrines have been subjected to demolition or desecration on the grounds that they were “remnants of the Mughal empire,” Mufti criticized what she perceives as a targeted ideological campaign. She questioned the rationale behind identifying Mughal architecture, like mosques or graves, for removal while iconic Mughal-era monuments such as the Taj Mahal, Red Fort, and Qutub Minar continue to be cherished national heritage sites and prominent tourist destinations.
In a pointed statement about the lineage of Mughal descendants, she asserted that if such ancestry is being invoked, its traces are more likely to be found in India’s royal families rather than among the general Muslim population. The Mughals, being rulers, married within nobility and not into common Muslim households, she contended, suggesting that any lingering cultural or dynastic affiliations from that era would reside within the circles of princely states, not in everyday Muslim communities.
Further, Mehbooba Mufti criticized the Union Government’s claims about uplifting Pasmanda (socially backward) Muslims, calling out recent demolitions of Islamic institutions such as madrasas and century-old mosques in states like Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. She challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s narrative, questioning whether such actions represented genuine empowerment or, instead, constituted a form of cultural and religious erasure.
Calling for a peaceful response from Indian Muslims, Mufti urged the community to resist the Waqf Act amendments through democratic and lawful means. Referring to a recent incident in Murshidabad, West Bengal, she cautioned against any form of violence or confrontation, emphasizing the importance of civil resistance.