NEW DELHI : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday called upon more groups in Jammu and Kashmir to abandon separatism, following the decision of two factions of the Hurriyat Conference to sever ties with the separatist movement.
โSeparatism in Kashmir is a thing of the past. The inclusive policies of the Modi government have dismantled its foundations in J&K. The Jammu and Kashmir Peopleโs Movement and the Democratic Political Movement have officially distanced themselves from separatism,โ Shah stated in a post on X.
He further urged other such organizations to come forward and renounce separatist ideologies. โThis marks a major triumph for PM Shri @narendramodi Jiโs vision of a prosperous, peaceful, and united Bharat,โ he added.
On March 12, the Union Government imposed a five-year ban on the Awami Action Committee (AAC), led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and the Jammu and Kashmir Ittihadul Muslimeen (JKIM), headed by Masroor Abbas Ansari, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued separate notifications accusing both organizations of carrying out activities against national interests, working to weaken Indiaโs sovereignty, and propagating separatist ideologies in Jammu and Kashmir.
Since 2019, the MHA has declared at least ten separatist organizations in Jammu and Kashmir as unlawful associations under the UAPA.
The revocation of Article 370 in August 2019 triggered a large-scale crackdown, leading to the arrest of numerous individuals linked to separatist movements. Reports suggest that over 100 individuals associated with separatist outfits have been taken into custody.
As of March 2025, top separatists from Jammu and Kashmir, including Yasin Malik, Shabir Shah, Nayeem Khan, Aasiya Andrabi and many others, remain jailed in Tihar Jail, New Delhi, facing charges related to terror financing and anti-national activities.
