BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi says Hindutva conveys a message of ‘bringing all sections of society together and progressing with inclusive thinking’
Srinagar: PDP leader Iltija Mufti strongly criticised the growing communal intolerance in the country, describing Hindutva as a “disease” that has tarnished India’s secular fabric and misused the name of Lord Ram for divisive purposes.
Reacting to a recent incident where minor Muslim boys were assaulted with slippers for refusing to chant “Jai Shri Ram,” Mufti said posted on her X account, “Ram the deity must hang his head in shame and watch helplessly as minor Muslim boys are whacked with chappals only because they refuse to chant his name. Hindutva is a disease that’s afflicted millions of Indians and sullied a God’s name.”*
Three Muslim children were allegedly forced to chant “Jai Shri Ram” and beaten by two men near Amrit Sagar Lake in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh.
The incident, which occurred a month ago, surfaced after a video of the assault went viral, Observer Post reported.
According to a police complaint, the children were sitting near a swing when two men, Kailash and Veer, approached them, abused them, and assaulted them with slippers upon learning their Muslim identity.
The attackers reportedly threatened the children with a knife, forced them to chant “Jai Shri Ram,” and filmed the act. One of the children said they were warned, “If you say Allah, we will throw you in the pond.”
The children escaped after one of the men attempted to abduct one of them. Out of fear, they did not initially inform their families. The youngest, a seven-year-old, was severely traumatised and required counseling after locking himself in a room.
The incident was reported to the police after the video went viral, with an FIR filed in the Manakchowk area under multiple sections of the law.
One assailant has been arrested, and the investigation is ongoing. Advocate Imran A Khokar said that the children and their families remain fearful, with the children temporarily relocated for their safety.
The assault took place amidst growing concerns over religious intolerance and forced slogans, which have become flashpoints for communal violence in India.
The incident has drawn widespread condemnation from opposition leaders, activists, and civil society groups, who see it as emblematic of the misuse of religion for political and ideological agendas.
Meanwhile, reacting to Mufti’s remarks, Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former GoI minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that those unfamiliar with the country’s “sanskriti and sanskar” should be gently reminded of the importance of “Sanatan culture.”
“Hindutva is desh ki ‘sanskriti’ hai, ‘sanskar’ hai and those who are unaware of the ‘sanskriti and sanskar’ of this country definitely need to be given a message about Sanatan culture once again,” ANI quoted Naqvi as saying.
He added that Hindutva conveys a message of bringing all sections of society together and progressing with inclusive thinking.
