Mufti slams BJP for Targeting Muslims, embracing Taliban

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, alleging it is targeting Muslims in India while simultaneously building diplomatic ties with the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Mufti, in a post on the social media platform X, claimed that the BJP is allegedly using narratives such as “Love Jihad,” “Land Jihad,” “Vote Jihad,” and “Cow Jihad” to defame and target the Muslim population in the country. She described this as contradictory to India’s foreign policy engagements, particularly its support for Afghanistan under Taliban rule.

“Under the names of ‘Love Jihad’, ‘Land Jihad’, ‘Vote Jihad’, and ‘Cow Jihad,’ the BJP is targeting its own Muslim population and promoting slogans that defame them. Meanwhile, India, which is the mother of democracy, is embracing the Taliban, the father of jihad, under the BJP,” Mufti wrote.

She also criticised the government’s decision to withdraw scholarships for Muslim students in India while providing similar opportunities to Afghan students, calling it a double standard. “It has decided to provide all kinds of assistance to rebuild Afghanistan, including educational scholarships for Afghan students. While maintaining good relations with Afghanistan may be strategically important, it creates a clear contradiction: India’s own Muslim population, who have contributed to the country’s identity and progress, are being deprived of basic rights and opportunities. Withdrawing scholarships for Muslim students highlights this internal double standard,” Mufti added.

The PDP chief further criticised Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath after Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi visited Darul Uloom Deoband in Saharanpur, UP, on Saturday. She stated that while international relations are important, a stable and harmonious nation requires trust, respect, and equality for all citizens, especially its Muslim population. “I hope Bulldozer Baba is listening!” she remarked.

The visit by the Taliban delegation to Darul Uloom Deoband is significant in terms of ideological connections. The Deobandi movement, founded in 1866 in Deoband, Uttar Pradesh, is a Sunni Islamic revivalist effort focusing on Islamic studies and jurisprudence. The Taliban, which emerged in the 1990s, have been influenced by Deobandi thought, primarily through Pakistani madrasas affiliated with Deoband, including Darul Uloom Haqqania. Many Taliban leaders, including Mullah Omar, studied in these institutions. Both Deobandis and the Taliban emphasise implementing Islamic law and resist Western influences.

Amir Khan Muttaqi’s visit to India is part of a week-long trip from October 9 to October 16 and marks the first high-level Taliban delegation to India since the group took control of Afghanistan in August 2021. The visit also symbolises the Taliban’s effort to assert ideological authenticity and independence from Pakistan’s Deobandi networks.

Mufti’s statements come amid ongoing debates over the treatment of Muslims in India, the implementation of laws related to interfaith marriages, and India’s evolving diplomatic relations with Afghanistan.