Iltija Mufti, the daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, has reacted strongly to a recent viral video from Madhya Pradesh, where three minors were seen being beaten and forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’.
“Hindutva is a disease that’s afflicted millions of Indians and sullied a god’s name,” she said while sharing a video of the incident on X.
The incident in question, which took place in Ratlam, involved a 16-year-old boy repeatedly hitting three minors with a slipper. The teenager also verbally abused them, while forcing them to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’.
While speaking to India Today TV, Iltija Mufti clarified she wasn’t trying to provoke anyone, but couldn’t remain tight-lipped after seeing the video of the minors being assaulted.
“It’s so disturbing, this man is whacking Muslim boys with a chappa (slippers) non-stop. Today, a part of me felt so enraged, so I had to tweet. You beat up Muslims and expect me to stay silent. Why should I?” she said.
The Jammu and Kashmir leader also explained her decision to invoke Lord Ram in her tweet, stating that she felt compelled to highlight the hypocrisy of those who claim to uphold Ram Rajya but engage in such acts of brutality.
“The reason why I have invoked Ram is because, for the last 10 years, Muslims have been lynched. Kids have been beaten to force them to chant Ram’s name. Didn’t they always say this is Ram Rajya? What kind of Ram Rajya is this where you beat up kids because they refuse to take his name?” she asked.
Iltija Mufti emphasised that her tweet was a reaction to the anger she felt after seeing the video. She further described Hindutva as a “disease” and compared it to how Islam had been misused by militants to justify violence.
“Hindus have mostly become rabid, it’s a disease. As a Muslim, I understand, because even militants used ‘Allah u Akbar’ to commit violence in the name of Islam. Just like Islam was tarnished, Hindus are being tarnished now,” she added.
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