Fact Check: Mehbooba Mufti’s claim that J&K students are forced to sing bhajans is misleading

New Delhi, Sep 20: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti claimed that the BJP was pushing its Hindutva agenda in the Union Territory and if forcing Muslim children to sing Bhajans in schools.

"Jailing religious scholars, shutting down Jama Masjid & directing school kids here to sing Hindu hymns exposes the real hindutva agenda of GOI in Kashmir. Refusing these rabid dictates invites PSA & UAPA.

It is the cost that we are paying for this so called "Badalta J&K," she said while sharing a video of children singing Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram in a school at Kulgam.

"Muslim children are being forced to sing bhajans in school. The BJP wants to test their Hindutva agenda in J&K," she also said.

"Why did they stop 'Lab pe aati hai'? it was not a religious song but now they have replaced it with a bhajan, what do they want to do," she also said.

Mufti further said, "People of J&K had sidelined Pakistan and chose India despite being a Muslim majority state because we thought it will protect our right to religion. Unfortunately, they have stolen our identity and now they are on our religion. Since 2019, they have closed our Jama Masjid. Our religious leaders are being thrown into jails for some old videos of their comment," she also said.

However this claim is misleading. Schools in Jammu and Kashmir as per the official government order dated September 13 were asked to recite the all faith prayer, Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram.. Ishwar Allah tero naam.

Per this India Today report the recitation of the all faith prayer was part of a series of activities that are taking place to mark the 153rd birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation. Since this bhajan was Gandhiji's favourite it was made part of the celebrations.

Hence the claim by Mehbooba Mufti is not only misleading but fake and with the intent to flare up communal tensions.