Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has condemned the vandalism of the shrine of 18th-century Sufi poet and philosopher Baba Bulleh Shah in Mussoorie, accusing BJP leaders of practising “deliberate hypocrisy.”
“BJP leaders pose in mosques abroad and roll out red carpets for Middle Eastern sheikhs. But back home they watch with glee the shrine of Sufi poet Baba Bulleh Shah being vandalised. This hypocrisy is not accidental but deliberate,” Mufti said in a post on X.
She added that destroying symbols of harmony was easier than answering questions on rising poverty, mass unemployment and a bleak future for the younger generation.
A case has been registered against three persons — identified as Hariom, Shivayun and Shraddha — for allegedly damaging the shrine using hammers and iron rods. The incident took place on Saturday at the shrine located on the premises of Wynberg-Allen School in Mussoorie.
According to the FIR, religious texts kept inside the structure were also destroyed. Police have also named 25 to 30 unidentified persons in the case.
The accused have been booked under sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita related to disturbing communal harmony, public order and defiling places of worship. No arrests have been made so far, and an investigation is underway.
A video of the vandalism was shared on social media by Pinky Chaudhary, chief of the Hindu Raksha Dal, who praised the group’s Uttarakhand unit and claimed responsibility for the act.
Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh said the case was filed following a complaint by members of the Muslim community.
Meanwhile, Baba Bulleh Shah Committee president Rajat Agarwal termed the incident an attempt to disturb Mussoorie’s peaceful atmosphere. He said Hindutva groups had earlier opposed the expansion of the shrine, alleging it was illegally constructed on government land.
The committee rejected the allegation, stating that the shrine stands on private school property with permission and that official inquiries had found no encroachment.
Baba Bulleh Shah passed away in 1757. His grave is located in Kasur, Pakistan.
