'BJP Wants To Establish Kaurava Raj, Not Ram Raj, Where Women Have No Respect': Mehbooba Mufti

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti slammed Nitish Kumar over an alleged veil-pulling incident, accused BJP of “Kaurava Raj”, opposed land allotment to BSF, and raised concerns over press freedom in Kashmir.

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti criticised Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for allegedly pulling down a woman doctor’s veil during an event on December 15. She termed the incident “vile” and said it caused immense distress to Muslims, especially women.

Reacting to Union Minister Giriraj Singh’s statement defending Nitish Kumar, Mufti said the BJP wants to establish a “Kaurava Raj”, not “Ram Raj”.

Mufti said, “India is a secular country. It is Gandhi’s country, who laid down his life for the nation. Unfortunately, some leaders today appear to be moving away from these values. People like Giriraj want to establish a Kaurava regime here, not Ram Rajya. The Kauravas stripped Draupadi in front of a crowd; these people are the same, where women have no respect. Giriraj has the mentality of the Kauravas. Draupadi was not a Muslim and did not wear a burqa, yet the Kauravas stripped her while people like Giriraj laughed and applauded. They are doing the same thing today. We have no expectations from them, but Nitish Kumar should not have done this.”

Mufti also opposed the proposed allotment of agricultural land in Puchal village of Pulwama to the Border Security Force (BSF). She argued that establishing security camps in the middle of inhabited villages on fertile land is “unjust” and deprives locals of their livelihood.

She urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to intervene and suggested that the BSF be allotted non-arable or barren land instead.

Mufti further spoke against the seizure of a local journalist’s phone in Srinagar, claiming that journalism in Kashmir is dying and that only “stenographers who parrot the BJP’s narrative” are being allowed to function.

She also praised her daughter, Iltija Mufti, for formally lodging a police complaint at the Kothibagh police station, seeking the registration of an FIR against Nitish Kumar. Mufti said, “We were not expecting this from Nitish Kumar. I am happy that Iltija lodged a complaint against him.”

She described Nitish Kumar’s act as an assault on the “autonomy, identity, and dignity of every Indian woman” and criticised CM Omar Abdullah for his delayed response to the issue.