Welcomes Decision Of Advocate Reshi, Shahid Saleem For Severing Ties With Hurriyat Conference
Srinagar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday urged more groups to shun separatism after two organizations of Hurriyat announced severing of ties with separatism.
In a post on X, Shah credited the development to the success of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government’s policies. He said Modi’s policies have unified the region and eliminated separatist influence. He urged other groups to follow suit. Shah said this development marks a significant milestone in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a peaceful, prosperous, and united India.
“Separatism has become history in Kashmir. The unifying policies of the Modi government have tossed separatism out of J&K. Two organizations of the Hurriyat, J&K People’s Movement and the Democratic Political Movement, have announced the severing of all ties with separatism,” said Shah, in a post on X.
“I welcome this step towards strengthening Bharat’s unity and urge all such groups to come forward and shed separatism once and for all,” he said.
“It is a big victory for PM Shri @narendramodi Ji’s vision of building a developed, peaceful and unified Bharat.”
Advocate Mohammad Shafi Reshi, a resident of Gulberg Colony, Srinagar, is among those who severed ties with the Hurriyat Conference.
Reshi, who formerly chaired the Jammu & Kashmir Democratic Political Movement (DPM) until 2017, after ending his association with the Hurriyat Conference, has since not associated with any separatist organisations.
In a formal statement, Reshi criticised the ideology of the separatist group for failing to address the real concerns of the people in Jammu and Kashmir. He added that he is now fully committed to his legal career and cautioned that any unauthorised use of his name in connection with separatist groups would lead to legal action. Reaffirming his commitment to the Indian Constitution, he said he remains a law-abiding citizen dedicated to national unity.
Also former Hurriyat Conference leader and Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement (JKPM) chairperson Shahid Saleem distanced himself and his organisation from separatist ideology, vowing allegiance to India and the Constitution.
“I am a loyal citizen of India and both my organisation and I owe allegiance to the Constitution of India,” he said in a note to press here.
Saleem said in his communication that he and his organisation have no sympathy for the ideology of All Parties Hurriyat Conference which “has not been able to address the legitimate aspirations and grievances of the people of Jammu and Kashmir”.
“I am a loyal citizen of India. My organization and I are not affiliated with any organization or association having an agenda that goes directly or indirectly against India and its interests. Both my organization and I owe allegiance to the Constitution of India,” Saleem said.
In March 2019, when IAS officer Shah Faesal quit bureaucracy and launched his own party by the identical name and style, Saleem had taken strong exception, saying his JKPM was launched on April 4, 2000 at the Press Club Jammu, and it became a constituent member of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC).
Faesal later withdrew his resignation and got reinstated to the service, and posted as deputy secretary in the tourism department in 2022.
The development comes in the wake of a five-year ban on the Awami Action Committee (AAC) led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Jammu and Kashmir Itehadul Muslimeen (JKIM) under UAPA. The two groups are part of the Mirwaiz-led Hurriyat Conference. People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has opposed the ban on the two groups. PDP legislators raised the matter in the assembly and urged the government of Omar Abdullah to reverse it.
After the abrogation of Article 370, the space for separatist politics has shrunk with Hurriyat Conference struggling for relevance.