'At Gunpoint': Former J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti Slams BJP For Forcing Kashmiris To Stand For National Anthem

Srinagar: PDP President Mehbooba Mufti has accused the BJP of coercing Kashmiris into standing for the national anthem, alleging that it is being enforced “at gunpoint.”

Her remarks came after around fifteen spectators were arrested at the TRC football ground during the Police Martyrs Football Tournament on Tuesday evening for not standing while the anthem was played. The event, held at the Synthetic Turf Football Ground and attended by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, featured a live band performance of the anthem.

According to sources, police from the Kothibagh station detained the individuals who remained seated. Families of those detained, however, maintained it was a misunderstanding rather than deliberate disrespect. One parent explained that the anthem was not clearly audible from their seats, which caused the unintentional lapse. Mufti stressed that standing for the national anthem is important, but argued that respect should come naturally rather than through pressure.

She recalled that in earlier times, people would rise on their own in schools or cinema halls when the anthem was played, but now they were being made to do so. She also raised concerns over reports that the Muslim Educational Trust school grounds might be converted into a martyrs’ memorial. Mufti urged the authorities to preserve the space for community activities and emphasised the need to safeguard such grounds for the youth to engage in sports and social gatherings.

She said there was adequate land available elsewhere in Jammu and Kashmir for memorials, and the police, whose role is to protect the community, should consider alternative sites. Mufti reiterated that preserving public spaces was vital to prevent young people from drifting into negative activities and insisted that community spaces should remain accessible.