Mehbooba Mufti urges Rahul Gandhi to raise concerns about ‘victimisation of Muslims’ in Parliament

Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti on Monday urged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to raise concerns about the “victimisation, dispossession and disempowerment” of Muslims during the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament.

Mufti said that Muslims in India had chosen to remain in the country after Partition because of their faith in the Congress leadership.

“Today, as the bearer of that legacy, the responsibility falls on your shoulders to uphold and defend the secular and democratic values enshrined in our Constitution,” she added.

The Peoples Democratic Party leader said that the ongoing special intensive revision of voter rolls in Bihar appears to be another “systemic effort to dispossess, disempower and ultimately disenfranchise Muslims, effectively erasing their presence”.

As part of the revision of electoral rolls, persons whose names were not on the 2003 voter list will need to submit proof of eligibility to vote. Opposition leaders have alleged that the exercise risks disenfranchising a large number of voters as they may not be able to submit the necessary documents.

Mufti also referred to reports of India having deported refugees by “pushing” them into Bangladeshi waters, saying: “Under the pretext of targeting ‘Bangladeshis’ and ‘Rohingyas’, Muslims are being pushed into increasingly desperate situations. Disturbing media reports have even suggested that some were forced into the sea in attempts to expel...

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