PDP President Mehbooba Mufti calls Union Minister Kiren Rijiju's visit to Kashmir 'designed and deliberate'

New Delhi [India], April 9 (ANI): President of People's Democratic Party (PDP) Mebooba Mufti on Wednesday said that the visit of the Union Minister Kiren Rijiju to Kashmir felt like it was 'designed' and a 'deliberate' one to signal that the views of the Muslims in the county held a little weight.
In a post on X, the PDP President said that the visit to Asia's largest tulip garden felt like a public celebration of the Muslim community's marginalisation and disempowerment.
"After bulldozing the Waqf Amendment Bill through Parliament, Minister Kiran Rijiju strategically chose to visit Kashmir. He was given a red-carpet welcome by the Chief Minister of India's only Muslim majority state - 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. The visit set against the backdrop of Asia's largest tulip garden felt like a public celebration of the community's marginalisation & disempowerment," the post read.
Further, Mufti, in her post, wrote that the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's actions deepened the sense of alienation and helplessness within Muslims but also sent legitimacy to the unilateral decision, which had been widely perceived as dismissive of the interests of the Muslims.
"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. With today possibly marking the end of this assembly session, the ruling alliance should prioritize passing a resolution to reject this bill rather than prolonging the political spectacle," the post further read.
On April 7, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah enjoyed a peaceful morning walk together in the beautiful Tulip Garden in Srinagar.
Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also met National Conference (NC) President Dr Farooq Abdullah.
The Tulip Garden in Srinagar is the largest Tulip garden in Asia, covering an area of about 30 hectares. It is situated on the foothills of the Zabarwan Range and offers an overview of Dal Lake. The garden was opened in 2007 to boost floriculture and tourism in Kashmir Valley. The tulip festival is an annual celebration that showcases the range of flowers in the garden. (ANI)