India of Gandhi, Nehru turned into ‘Lynchistan’: Mehbooba Mufti
Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti has expressed grave concern over the growing incidents of mob violence in India, saying the country founded on the ideals of Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru has been transformed into a “Lynchistan.”
According to Kashmir Media Service, Mehbooba Mufti was reacting to the recent lynching of a labourer from West Bengal in Sambalpur district of Odisha and the death of a tribal MBA student, Angel Chakma, in Uttarakhand following an alleged assault. She said the prevailing atmosphere in India had become dangerous and fear-ridden.
Talking to reporters in Srinagar, the PDP chief said incidents of lynching and targeted violence had become alarmingly frequent, exposing the deep erosion of law, justice and human values. “The atmosphere in India today is dangerous and full of fear,” she said.
Mehbooba Mufti pointed out the double standards in public and political reactions to such incidents. “When some of our Hindu brothers face an issue in Bangladesh, there is widespread outrage and hue and cry. But when incidents like lynching take place within India, it began with Ikhlaq and has not stopped since,” she said, referring to the lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq in Uttar Pradesh that marked the beginning of a series of mob violence cases.
She lamented that mob rule and hate-driven violence were being normalised, while those responsible often enjoyed impunity. “The India of Gandhi and Nehru, which once stood for non-violence, pluralism and constitutional values, has now been turned into a ‘Lynchistan’,” Mehbooba Mufti remarked.
The PDP leader warned that continued silence and inaction against such crimes would further push India into moral and social decline, undermining its democratic fabric and endangering the lives of minorities, marginalised communities and dissenting voices.
