Clear About Not Speaking to Pakistan, Indian Home Minister Says at Kashmir Rally

ndian Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah has said that he is “clear in his mind” about not speaking to Pakistan, criticizing regional politicians in Kashmir over advocating for a dialogue with India’s western neighbor.

The comments were made during a public rally in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district which has a sizeable population of Gujjar tribal communities and Pahari-speaking people.

“They (regional politicians) give me advice of talking to Pakistan. Those who ruled (Kashmir) for 70 years tell me to talk to Pakistan. I have a clear mind about not talking to Pakistan. I want to talk to Gujjars, and Paharis of Baramulla. I want to talk to the youth of Kashmir instead,” said Shah who is currently on a three-day official visit to the region.

Shah further commented that while regional parties advise him to be mindful of Pakistan, the Modi government's main purpose is to uproot separatism and militancy in Kashmir.

Furthermore, Shah accused the Indian National Congress Party, the Abdullah's of the regional National Conference and Mufti's of the People’s Democratic Party of being responsible for the deaths of 42,000 people killed in the Kashmir conflict.

“What have you given to the youth of Kashmir. You have handed them stones and guns. Modi Ji got industries (to Kashmir) and handed laptops and mobiles to youth of the Valley (Kashmir),” Shah said, referring to former state chief Mehbooba Mufti and Farooq Abdullah.

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Shah also attacked the region’s Gupkar Alliance, a conglomerate of regional political parties advocating the return of special autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir revoked in August 2019.

"For the last 70 years, Mufti and company, Abdullah and sons were in power here but didn't provide housing for the one lakh homeless people. Modi Ji gave homes to these people between 2014 and 2022. Modi Ji's model of governance brings development and employment, while the Gupkar model offers stones and guns in hands of the youth. There is a lot of difference between Modi's model and Gupkar model," Shah.

“Those who support terrorism while sitting in the government were identified and action was taken against them,” he further stated while attacking previous governments.

The minister also stated that state-level elections will happen as soon as the pre-election exercise be completed. The last state elections were held in 2015. An alliance government of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), regions Peoples Democratic Party and Peoples Conference had come to power but fell in the summer of 2018 over key political differences.

Meanwhile, strict security measures are in place in Kashmir as the minister’s visit nears its conclusion. Earlier in the day, a civilian was killed in an accidental fire by security forces in south Kashmir. Four militants were killed in two separate gunbattles in the same region in the past 24 hours.