Jammu, March 25 (IANS) After two constituents of the Hurriyat Conference announced the severing of its ties, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday that separatism has become history in Kashmir while urging more groups to come forward. Taking to social media, HM Shah said on X handle, “Separatism has become history in Kashmir. The unifying policies of the Modi government have tossed separatism out of J&K. Two organizations associated with the Hurriyat have announced the severing of all ties with separatism. I welcome this step towards strengthening Bharat's unity and urge all such groups to come forward and shed separatism once and for all. It is a big victory for PM Shri @narendramodi Ji's vision of building a developed, peaceful and unified Bharat.”

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, however, refused to comment on the Union home Minister’s statement saying, “I have not seen the tweet. I will comment when I see it”. It must be mentioned that as a major setback to the Hurriyat Conference, two of its major associate organisations -- Jammu Kashmir People’s Movement and Democratic Political Movement (DPM) -- announced the severing of all ties with the separatist umbrella organisation on Monday. The move comes after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) banned the Mirwaiz Umer Farooq-headed Awami Action Committee (ACC) for five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The Centre had also issued an order under the UAPA to ban J&K Ittehadul Muslimeen (JKIM) headed by Maulvi Masroor Abbas Ansari for five years.

After Article 370 was revoked on August 5, 2019, the Hurriyat Conference became defunct. Advocate Mohammad Shafi Reshi, leader of DPM announced his complete dissociation from the hard-line Geelani faction of the Hurriyat Conference. It must be recalled that advocate Shafi also served as the political secretary of hardline separatist leader, late Syed Ali Shah Geelani. The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) was formed on July 31, 1993, as a political alliance of 26 political, social and religious organisations. 

The APHC was formed as a united separatist political front. Mehmood Ahmed Saghar was the first convener of the APHC in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). APHC split into two main factions on September 7, 2003, the Mirwaiz faction and the Geelani faction. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is the founder and chairman of the Mirwaiz faction and Masarat Alam Bhat is the interim chairman of the Geelani faction, who succeeded Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the founder of the faction after his death.

/IANS