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Acid test ahead for Amit Shah in Jammu and Kashmir

SP Sharma

Picture of Pulwama suicide bomber at the gate of Srinagar's Jama Masjid. (SNS)


Anti-national elements put up banners carrying a photo of the Pulwama suicide bomber Adil Ahmad Dar at the gate of Srinagar’s Jama Masjid and waved Pakistani flags as Amit Shah took charge of the Home portfolio in the Narendra Modi led NDA government. Shah has been a staunch advocate of zero-tolerance towards terrorism in Kashmir.

The Kashmir based mainstream political parties are silent on Shah becoming Home minister and in which capacity he has to play a crucial role in tackling the anti-national activities and terrorism in Kashmir.

Tackling activities of anti-national elements and terrorism are the main challenges that Shah faces in Kashmir in his capacity as the Home Minister.

Anti-national elements, during the Friday prayers in the Jama Masjid, put up banners carrying the photograph of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) suicide bomber Adil Dar who had rammed his RDX laden vehicle into a convoy in which 42 CRPF personnel were martyred in Pulwama. They waved Pakistani and ISIS flags and also raised slogans in support of top terrorist Zakir Musa who was recently killed in an encounter with the security forces. The banners also carried the photo of Pakistan based JeM chief Masood Azhar.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who delivers sermons and is also the custodian of the Jama Masjid, allegedly allowed all this to happen within the premises of the mosque. These elements also clashed with the security forces outside the mosque.

It is worth mentioning that the BJP leadership had built the party’s Lok Sabha election campaign around the Pulwama issue and terrorism in Kashmir and Shah had, in his election rallies, spoken of iron fist action against terrorists and scrapping the controversial Articles 370 and 35A that “encourage” separatism in J&K.

National Conference leader, Omar Abdullah, in his congratulatory tweet did not make specific mention of Shah and said, “congratulations to all the ministers who were administered oath of office this evening”.

PDP leader, Mehbooba Mufti, congratulated only the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Reacting to the Modi government back in the saddle, the Mirwaiz tweeted, “As people of India overwhelmingly voted for Mr. Modi, this mandate gives him opportunity & power to play a decisive role in the resolution of Kashmir conflict which has consumed generations of Kashmiris. This issue cannot be solved militarily or through confrontation but by dialogue & deliberations and Pakistan PM Imran Khans oft repeated offer of dialogue should be seriously considered by new dispensation”.

“Hurriyat is willing to support every such initiative which aims at a peaceful resolution of the dispute keeping in view the sentiments of people of Kashmir, the main stakeholders and which puts an end to decades of loss and suffering inflicted on them due to the lingering conflict”, he said in another tweet.

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