Union Home Minister Amit Shah declared on Tuesday that the Modi government would not engage in dialogue with the Hurriyat Conference, labeling it an “outfit of terrorist organizations.” Speaking in the Lok Sabha during a discussion on Operation Sindoor, Shah contrasted the current government’s stance with past practices, stating that the Hurriyat previously received “red carpet” treatment and engaged in talks with the Manmohan Singh government.
Shah emphasized that the present administration has banned all Hurriyat constituents, with their members now incarcerated. He reiterated the Narendra Modi government’s clear policy: “Hurriyat is an outfit of terror organisations. We will not speak to them. We will speak to the youth of the valley.”
The Hurriyat, established in 1993, is a coalition of separatist organizations based in Jammu and Kashmir, widely regarded for its pro-Pakistan leanings.
Shah also provided statistics on the improved security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. He noted a 70% reduction in terrorist incidents from 7,217 between 2004-2014 to 2,150 between 2014-2025. Civilian deaths in the region decreased by 80% (from 1,770 to 357) and security personnel deaths by nearly 50% (from 1,060 to 542) during the same periods. Conversely, there was a 123% increase in the deaths of terrorists.
The Home Minister criticized the Congress government’s approach to terrorism between 2005 and 2011, stating that despite 27 terrorist attacks, their response was limited to sending dossiers to Pakistan. Shah asserted that there are no local terrorists in Kashmir now, with terrorists being sent from Pakistan. He attributed the destruction of the terror ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir to the scrapping of Article 370.
