Check Hindu fringe elements: Mehbooba

New Delhi, Dec 5: PDP President Mehbooba Mufti today demanded that "fringe elements" acting in the name of Hinduism should be checked, drawing comparison with elements of ISIS who misuse Islam.

"In our country tolerance is the strength of the country and if we don't stop this so-called fringe elements...What is happening in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq... because those are also fringe elements who are misusing the name of Islam.

"So in our country there are fringe elements who are misusing the name of Hinduism and they also compare it with nationalism which is worse," she said while speaking at the HT Leadership summit here.

Mehbooba, whose party PDP heads a coalition government with BJP in Jammu and Kashmir, said Bihar elections had done a "great job" to the "fringe elements" who misused the name Hinduism comparing it with "nationalism".

The daughter of state Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed was asked a question how does her party justify when noises including by some Union Ministers of "go to Pakistan". She said "the mentality is the same..it is the thought process that counts."

She referred to late Pakistani Prime Minister Z A Bhutto's quote who had said that India is thriving because of the chaos and noise of democracy. "...When people are trying to fight a battle with rising prices, don't get onions, and suddenly some people start dictating as to which meat should one consume? This is not done.

This is not acceptable," she said. To a question whether it was affecting the PDP-BJP alliance in the state which saw death of a young trucker being killed by such fringe elements, she said "the murderers have been booked and tough action has been taken.

This is what counts. Statements can be there but at the end it's the action that counts." As she settled down for the interaction, Mehbooba was asked a question about the possibility of her succeeding her father as Chief Minister, she replied, "I am not comfortable with this question please. I don't want to think about it. I am working for the people and will continue to do so."

PTI