Ban bhajan, Surya namaskar in J&K schools: Islamic body demands

Srinagar: Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU) asked the government to stop children from having to sing bhajans and practice Surya Namaskar in J&K schools.

MMU sought the ban reportedly claiming that these practices are hurting the religious sentiments of Muslims.

The association of 30 Islamic religious and educational outfits came out with the demand after former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said that Muslim students were forced to sing bhajans in schools.

Mufti claimed that the BJP was pushing its Hindutva agenda in Jammu and Kashmir.

Accessing the government order to schools on September 13, India Today reported that students were asked to recite an "all faith prayer Reghupati Raghav Raj Ram.. Ishwar Allah tero naam".

'Raghupati Raghav', which is a favourite of Mahatma Gandhi, was included as part of a series of activities to commemorate 153 rd birth anniversary of Gandhi.

The report said that Mehbooba Mufti posted a video on her Twitter showing school kids in Kulgam singing 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram'.

Mufti tweeted that directing school kids to sing Hindu hymns, while jailing religious scholars and shutting down Jama Masjid, exposes Hindutva agenda of the government in Kashmir.

The PDP chief asked why the BJP forwent 'Lab pe aati hai dua' with a 'bhajan', which she said was not a religious song.

National Conference Chief Farooq Abdullah did not buy Mehbooba Mufti's claims saying that India is not communal but secular. He said he chanted bhajan and aksed what was wrong in chanting the bhajan, according to a report by news agency ANI.

Abdullah asked whether a Hindu visiting Ajmer Dargah be transformed into a Muslim.

The BJP J&K unit president Ravinder Raina said Mufit was poisoning young mind.