Minister Amit Shah during his visit to the border outpost ‘Vinay’ with BSF soldiers, in Kathua


Three senior separatist leaders in Jammu and Kashmir—Mohammad Yousuf Naqash, Hakeem Abdul Rashid, and Bashir Ahmad Andrabi—renounced separatism and severed ties with Hurriyat factions on Monday.

This development coincided with Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to the Kashmir Valley. The leaders, previously associated with Hurriyat factions led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, publicly pledged allegiance to the Indian Constitution and denounced separatist ideologies.

Naqash, Rashid, and Andrabi headed the Islamic Political Party J&K, Muslim Democratic League J&K, and Kashmir Freedom Front respectively.

In similarly worded statements, they criticised the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), stating that it had failed to address the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. They also warned against associating their names or organisations with separatist agendas, emphasising their loyalty to India and commitment to its Constitution.

This marks a significant shift in the region's political landscape, as several other Hurriyat-affiliated groups have recently renounced separatism. Union Home Minister Amit Shah welcomed these developments, asserting that separatism is "breathing its last" in Jammu and Kashmir under the Modi government.

Amit Shah has hailed these developments as evidence of separatism "breathing its last" under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

He credited the government's unifying policies for fostering trust in the "new Bharat" and diminishing separatist sentiments in the Valley. This wave of renunciations comes amidst Shah's ongoing visit to J&K, where his agenda includes reviewing security arrangements, assessing development projects, and meeting families of police personnel who sacrificed their lives in anti-terror operations.

The APHC, formed in 1993 during the peak of militancy in Kashmir, has historically advocated for a resolution of the Kashmir issue based on UN resolutions. However, it has faced increasing marginalization due to government crackdowns and internal divisions.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah welcomed these developments, describing them as a victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a unified and peaceful India. Shah urged other groups to follow suit and abandon separatism for national unity.

Agencies