People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti who came under heavy criticism for paying a visit to Shiv Temple and offering water on Shivling in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, defended her visit saying " we live in a country that is home to Ganga- Jamuni tehzeeb” and there is no need to discuss the matter further.
Maulana Mufti Asad Qasmi of Madrasa Jamia Sheikhul Hind criticised the former J&K CM for visiting the temple and said what Mehbooba Mufti has done is inappropriate and not permitted in Islam.
To this, Mehbooba Mufti said that she very well knows her religion and aware of what she was doing. Mufti while slamming the Islamic clerics said, I know my religion very well and it is my personal matter where i go.
BJP Leader and Former Deputy Chief Minister of J&K Kavinder Gupta for Mehbooba’s visit to the temple said, though i have also come from temple but the news is about her because she is doing something different. He termed her visit as mere drama and a political gimmick. He said, when elections are around, these things are obvious.
Former J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti during a press conference on Thursday said, this temple was build by one of PDP’s leader Yashpal Sharma so his son wanted me to go inside the temple. So, at his request, I visited the temple because the people of Poonch have also given their contributions.
Mehbooba Mufti added, when she was inside the temple, one of the devotees gave her a vessel containing water and asked her to offer water on Shivling and denying it would have been wrong so she offered prayers. She said, when someone is offering you so much love and asking you to do something you cannot break their heart.
Mehbooba said, " This is the country of Ganga and Yamuna, where Hindu Muslims live with love". She even tweeted to defend her temple visit.
Amused but not shocked to see Godi media devote their prime time to my visit to a temple in Poonch. Would like to remind them that this is still Nehru & Gandhi’s India & not a BJP Rashtra. It is an India where muslim artisans carve the idols worshipped by Hindus, Mehbooba Mufti tweeted.