Islamabad, Pakistan: Muhammad Farooq Rehmani, a senior leader of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference-Azad Jammu and Kashmir (APHC-AJK), has called for the international community to declare India a racist state. This statement comes in response to the recent inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which Rehmani criticizes as a detrimental shift away from secularism in India.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Rehmani strongly condemned the opening of the Ram Mandir, particularly due to its symbolic location on the site of the demolished Babri Masjid. He raised concerns about the potential risks this event poses to other historical mosques in India, including the Sunehri Bagh Mosque in Delhi and mosques in Varanasi and Mathura.
Rehmani asserted that the current BJP government under Narendra Modi is fostering a climate of hatred, marginalizing Muslims in various aspects of national life. He contrasted this with the religious tolerance exhibited by historical Muslim rulers in India, such as the Mughals, who promoted Hindu-Muslim unity and inclusivity.
Rehmani’s statement further criticizes the BJP regime for undermining the secular and non-communal politics that marked the centuries of Muslim rule in India. He called upon international organizations, including the United Nations (UN), the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and Arab states, to take serious note of the situation in India. Rehmani argued that the actions of the BJP government pose a threat to the principles of the UN Charter and to the Muslim-majority region of Jammu and Kashmir, especially in light of demographic changes following the revocation of Articles 370 and 35A.
The APHC-AJK leader appealed to the international community to recognize India as a racist state. He expressed concern over the imposition of what he described as aggressive Hindutva laws on Muslims in India and in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. This statement underscores the heightened tensions and the perceived impact of recent religious and political developments on the secular framework of the Indian state.