"I have spoken against Hindutva, not Hinduism": PDP's Iltija Mufti

Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], December 8 (ANI): People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti clarified her stance following the row over her recent remarks on 'Hindutva' and said that she had spoken against the ideology of 'Hindutva' and not 'Hinduism'.
Mufti said that Hinduism is a religion that promotes "peace and compassion" and further criticised the 'Hindutva' philosophy, which she claimed wants an India only for Hindus.
The PDP leader further reiterated that she was against Hindutva, which she terms as a "disease" that needs to be "weeded out."
"This is an India of Mahatma Gandhi. I have spoken against Hindutva, not Hinduism. I have spoken against Veer Savarkar's philosophy that India is only for Hindus...I know Hinduism is a religion that promotes peace and compassion. I am against Hindutva as it is a disease that needs to be weeded out," Mufti said.
Earlier, she clarified her 'controversial' post where she expressed a strong criticism of 'Hindutva,' calling it an "illness," and said that there is a lot of difference between 'Hindutva' and 'Hinduism.'
This came after the PDP leader, reacting to a purported video of the attack on minor Muslim boys forced to chant 'Jai Shri Ram', called Hindutva "a disease" that has "afflicted millions of Indians & sullied a God's name."
"Ram the deity must hang his head in shame & watch helplessly as minor Muslim boys are whacked with chappals only because they refuse to chant his name," she stated on Saturday.
Mufti drew a clear distinction between Hindutva and Hinduism, emphasising that the former is a religion promoting values of secularism, love, and compassion, similar to Islam.
"There is a lot of difference between Hindutva and Hinduism. Hindutva is a philosophy of hate that Veer Savarkar spread in India in the 1940s with the aim of establishing the hegemony of Hindus, and the philosophy was that India belongs to Hindus and is for Hindus. Like Islam, Hinduism is also a religion that promotes secularism, love, and compassion. So, let's not deliberately distort it," she said.
Mufti further argued that the slogan "Jai Shri Ram" has been wrongly associated with violence and is being used as a tool to instigate hate, rather than representing the ideals of "Ramrajya."
"The slogan 'Jai Shri Ram' is not about 'Ramrajya,' but it is being linked to lynching... It is very shameful that Hinduism is being distorted...I criticised Hindutva as it is an illness," she added.
Meanwhile, following Iltija's statement, Congress leader Rashid Alvi said, "She has praised the Hindu religion. She is a young leader and is the granddaughter of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed...We all should respect each other's religions."
Later, Iltija Mufti made another post, wherein she stated that the "senseless violence" carried out in the name of Islam has led to 'Islamophobia,' and a "similar situation" is happening with Hinduism.
"Much outrage over my tweet & also whataboutery about Islam. The senseless violence that's been carried out in the name of Islam is what caused Islamophobia in the first place. Today Hinduism (not Hindutva) also finds itself in a similar situation where it's being used & abused to lynch & persecute minorities. Let's call spade a spade," she stated on Sunday. (ANI)