Jammu and Kashmir’s political firebrand Iltija Mufti has gone viral again, this time holding Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann accountable for the alleged ordeal faced by Kashmiri Muslim students at CT University. Sparked by a video exposing the Vice Chancellor’s purported orders to evict students and cancel enrollments over Ramadan meal requests for Sehri and Iftar, Iltija’s response has ignited national discourse.
Posting on X with direct tags to Mann, she probed: ‘Bhagwant Mann, do you back abusing Kashmiri Muslim students for their fasting needs?’ Expressing disbelief at such prejudice in Punjab, she called for decisive action against the VC, warning that token gestures won’t suffice. Punjab Police and DGP were looped in for immediate oversight.
This flare-up revives concerns about religious freedom on campuses, where Kashmiri students navigate heightened scrutiny. Iltija’s track record bolsters her voice: she pursued legal action against Bihar CM Nitish Kumar in December 2023 following a hijab video controversy, decrying it as an affront to women’s honor.
A 2024 J&K assembly election candidate from PDP’s traditional Anantnag seat Gufwara-Bijbehara, where defeat didn’t dim her resolve, Iltija thrives in online forums championing Kashmiri welfare, human rights advocacy, and calls for greater regional powers.
As hashtags trend and opinions polarize, Punjab’s government faces a litmus test on inclusivity. A robust investigation could defuse tensions, but delays risk portraying the state as complicit in faith-based discrimination.