Questions govt’s claims, says violence spread to Jammu; calls for dialogue
Suhail Khan
Jammu, Feb 06: National Conference legislator from Gurez, Nazir Ahmad Gurezi, on Thursday directly contested the Centre’s narrative of a “peaceful” Jammu and Kashmir after the 2019 constitutional changes. He asserted that militancy has not been contained but has, in fact, spread from Kashmir to the Jammu region.
Speaking to The Web Story/The Varmul Post on the sidelines of the ongoing Budget session here, Gurezi called for a political dialogue as the “only sustainable way” to end the conflict, echoing his party chief Farooq Abdullah’s longstanding position.
His remarks come at a time when Union Home Minister Amit Shah is beginning a two-day visit to J&K starting today.
Referring to recent encounters in the Pir Panchal range of the Chenab Valley, Gurezi said, “Earlier, militancy was confined to Kashmir, but now it is in Jammu as well.” He framed this geographical spread as evidence of a policy failure.
The MLA said, “Earlier, they said they would end militancy through demonetisation, but that did not happen. After that, they held Article 370 responsible. Today, it has been proven that was a lie. This is a failure of the Government of India and of the law enforcement agencies.”
Six years after the abrogation of Article 370—a move the government argued would dismantle the ecosystem supporting militancy—Gurezi claimed violence has “increased rather than decreased.”
He also challenged official data pointing to a decline in local militant recruitment. “If it has been successful, then where are these militants coming from?” he asked, adding, “Only the people of Jammu and Kashmir are affected—our economy, our development. People die here; people are put in jails.”
While terming the Home Minister’s visit a “good thing,” Gurezi pointedly added, “Home ministers visit every state. But the state should have benefited from this.”
