Tensions escalated in Jammu and Kashmir’s political landscape after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Mehraaj Malik stirred controversy with scathing remarks against former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, blaming him for the state of affairs in the region and alleging that his own voice was being suppressed in the Assembly.

“I stand by my statements on Mufti Mohammad Sayeed… They cannot scare me,” Malik declared defiantly while addressing the media following the recent scuffle in the Assembly. “Mufti Sayeed has died, and it’s a fact. I have not used the words which they fear,” he added, reiterating that his comments were rooted in political truth and not personal malice.

Malik didn’t mince words as he accused Sayeed of betrayal. “He has betrayed the Muslim community. It is because of Mufti Sayeed that I am in this condition,” the AAP legislator said. He further alleged that the BJP was exploiting the situation to resort to intimidation tactics. “BJP is resorting to hooliganism. If my voice is being suppressed in the House and if I am being attacked outside the House, it is because of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed,” he asserted.

The MLA’s statement comes amid an ongoing uproar over the recently passed Waqf Amendment Act, which has triggered chaos in the Assembly for three consecutive days. A physical altercation broke out on Wednesday between BJP legislators and Malik after he attempted to raise the issue, accusing the saffron party of trying to silence opposition voices.

While the BJP has slammed Malik for allegedly insulting Hindu sentiments, claiming he made derogatory remarks, the AAP MLA maintains his criticism is aimed squarely at the political legacy of Mufti Sayeed, whom he blames for laying the groundwork that has now, according to him, empowered the BJP to stifle minority voices.