Red carpet welcome by CM Omar Abdullah to Kiren Rijiju lent legitimacy to Waqf Amendment Bill: Mehbooba

Srinagar, April 09: Former Chief Minister (CM) and PDP President, Mehbooba Mufti, said today that a red-carpet welcome given by CM Omar Abdullah to Union Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju in Srinagar lent legitimacy to the Waqf Amendment Bill.

PDP chief Mehbooba urged the ruling alliance to pass a resolution against the newly framed Waqf Act. In a post on X, Mehbooba wrote, “With today possibly marking the end of this assembly session, the ruling alliance should prioritise passing a resolution to reject this bill rather than prolonging the political spectacle.”

PDP leader also raised questions over the red-carpet welcome given by CM Omar to Kiren Rijiju, describing it as a move that seemed designed to signal to the 24 crore Muslims across India that their views hold little weight. “After bulldozing the Waqf Amendment Bill through Parliament, Minister Kiren Rijiju strategically chose to visit Kashmir. He was given a red-carpet welcome by the Chief Minister-- a move that seemed designed & deliberate to signal to the 24 crore Muslims across India that their views hold little weight when the leader of the country’s only Muslim-majority region stands in support,” she said.

Mehbooba added that the visit by Minority Affairs Minister Rijiju to the Tulip Garden in Srinagar felt like a public celebration of the disempowerment of Muslims.

“The visit set against the backdrop of Asia’s largest Tulip Garden felt like a public celebration of the community’s marginalisation & disempowerment. The Chief Minister’s actions not only deepened the sense of alienation and helplessness within the Muslim community but also lent legitimacy to this unilateral decision widely perceived as dismissive of their interests,” Mehbooba said.