Srinagar, Apr 09 : Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday said that after Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju bulldozed Waqf Amendment Bill through Parliament he was given red carpet welcome in Kashmir by J&K Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah.
Mehbooba, while talking to the reporters here, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said, “After bulldozing the Waqf Amendment Bill through Parliament, Minister Kiren Rijiju strategically chose to visit Kashmir.”
“He (Rijiju) was given red carpet welcome by the Chief Minister of India’s only Muslim majority state – a move that seemed designed & deliberate to signal to the 24 crore Muslims across India that their views hold little weight when the leader of the country’s only Muslim-majority region stands in support,” she added.
Former J&K Chief Minister while referring to the “chance meeting” between Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the Union Minister Rijiju at the Tulip Garden here said, “The visit set against the backdrop of Asia’s largest tulip garden felt like a public celebration of the community’s marginalisation and disempowerment.”
The PDP president further said, “Omar Abdullah’s actions not only deepened the sense of alienation and helplessness within the Muslim community but also lent legitimacy to this unilateral decision widely perceived as dismissive of their interests,” she said—(KNO)
