Former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has sent letters to the chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Karnataka, expressing gratitude for their support of the Waqf (amendment) Bill and their defence of ‘justice and the inclusive idea of India’, Indian Express reported.
“In these challenging times, your courage and clarity have been a rare source of hope. Alongside a few principled voices, you have stood up for justice and the inclusive vision of India,” Mufti wrote to M K Stalin, Mamata Banerjee, and Siddaramaiah. “I am writing to convey my deep respect and the gratitude of many who feel marginalized and voiceless. With your continued support and leadership, I am confident that we can uphold our constitutional values and our shared future.”
Mufti emphasized in her letters that India is confronting a rising tide of majoritarianism that disproportionately affects minorities, particularly Muslims. “For more than a decade, India has faced increasing majoritarian tendencies that threaten its fundamental values of diversity and pluralism. While most citizens oppose this agenda, those promoting division and hatred now wield power, targeting our Constitution, institutions, and secular fabric,” she stated.
She criticized the recent enforcement of new Waqf laws, which she argues undermine religious freedoms, particularly for minorities, including Muslims.
Mufti characterized these legislative actions as part of a broader pattern of erosion of rights, citing previous measures such as the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and its division into two union territories.
Mufti’s letters to the three chief ministers follow tensions between the ruling National Conference and the rival Peoples Democratic Party over the J&K assembly’s failure to debate the new law.
While National Conference legislators and some non-BJP opposition members sought to discuss the Waqf Act in the assembly, speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, a senior National Conference member, refused any debate, citing sub judice considerations. Opposition parties accused the National Conference of deliberately blocking discussion on the Act, labeling it a “fixed match.”
