‘Won’t Say Vande Mataram’: Iltija Mufti Sparks Row Over Free Speech In Kashmir
Reacting to the enquiry against cricketer Furqan Ul Haq, Iltija Mufti questioned whether people in Jammu and Kashmir still enjoy the freedom to speak openly.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter Iltija Mufti has sparked a row after saying she would not say Vande Mataram, raising concerns over what she described as curbs on free expression in the Union Territory. Her remarks came amid controversy over a preliminary enquiry ordered by the Jammu and Kashmir Police after images of a Kashmiri cricketer wearing a helmet bearing the Palestine flag were circulated online. Iltija Mufti defended expressions of solidarity with Palestine, calling the official response excessive and politically driven.
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'Free Speech Under Question'
Reacting to the enquiry against cricketer Furqan Ul Haq, Iltija Mufti questioned whether people in Jammu and Kashmir still enjoy the freedom to speak openly. “We are summoned on everything. Do we not have the freedom to speak freely?” she said, adding that expressing solidarity with Palestine should not be treated as a crime.
'Gaza, Policing & No Rule Of Law’
Drawing parallels with protests in Europe and the United States, she said demonstrations against the killings in Gaza take place globally without similar consequences. Iltija Mufti alleged that people in the region are being picked up for minor issues, VPNs are being banned, and actions are increasingly justified “in the garb of law”, claiming there was effectively “no rule of law” left in Jammu and Kashmir.
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