Mehbooba says Bhagwat's assertion on Muslims hollow after alleged assault on journalists

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday said an alleged assault on two Muslim women journalists inside a police station in Delhi had exposed what she called the gap between RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's assertion in the United States that Muslims are an inseparable part of India and the treatment of minorities.

Mehbooba said the incident was no longer only about attacks by extremist groups, alleging that those entrusted with protecting citizens had themselves weaponised their authority against minorities. She said the alleged assault showed that fear could be sanctioned by the system rather than coming only from a mob.

Bhagwat had said in the US that Muslims were an inseparable part of India, according to Mehbooba's statement. The allegation about the police-station incident needs to be independently confirmed before publication with the Delhi Police or another primary source.

(With inputs from PTI)