Multiple separatist outfits in J&K banned; Geelani's granddaughter declares loyalty to India

With Lok Sabha elections just around the corner, the Indian government is leaving no stone unturned to eradicate separatism from the Kashmir Valley. In the last five years, over 10 separatist outfits in Jammu and Kashmir have been banned by the Home Ministry, five among them just in the last week.

The Union home ministry has acted upon multiple separatist groups and declared them unlawful associations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967. The five banned groups include separatist groups JKLF, JKFM, and the Muslim League. These groups led by separatist leaders like Yasin Malik, Nayim Khan and Masrat Aalam were banned in the past few days alone, while five other separatist groups were banned over the past five years.

''We welcome this step by the government, It's a great step to ban terrorists and separatist organisations in the Union Territory. They had put Kashmir on a burner, and it was due to these organisations that youth were involved in stone pelting, and terrorism in the name of Pakistan. Since the step of banning these organisations has been taken by our Home Minister and the visionhe has for JK, the situation has improved drastically by banning these organizations like Jamaat Islami, Muslim League and Geelani's faction. There is peace, progress and development as the output of the same. They were producing terrorists and stone pelters and that has stopped," said Altaf Thakur, BJP spokesperson.

Meanwhile, in a significant move, the daughterof jailed separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah and granddaughter of separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani publicly distanced themselves from the separatist ideologies that theirfatherand grandfather once championed. Sama Shabir and Ruwa Shah have taken a bold step towards reaffirming their allegiance to the Union of India.

Ruwa Shah, the granddaughter of Geelani, disassociated herself from her late grandfather's Hurriyat Conference faction through a published notice in a local newspaper in the valley. She made it clear that she stands as a proud citizen of India and holds no sympathy towards separatist ideologies. Similarly, Sama Shabir, the elder daughter of Shabir Ahmad Shah, emphasised her loyalty to India in another public notice, denouncing any association with her father's banned separatist organisation.

''The granddaughter of Syed Ali Geelani and daughter of Shabir Ahmad Shah, both have distanced themselves from the separatist ideology. They have said that their parents and grandparents had the wrong ideology, and they are proud to be citizens of India. It's a big slap on the face of separatists and also on the regional political parties like National Conference and PDP, who keep talking about talks with Pakistan, it is also a slap on them. Both these daughters coming out and accepting India's ideology and being proud of it is a big achievement,'' said Altaf Thakur, BJP Spokesperson.

Official sources have indicated that in preparation for the Lok Sabha polls and to ensure a peaceful atmosphere in the Valley for the common populace to participate freely and fairly in the democratic process, central agencies and the MHA have been keeping a close eye onJammu and Kashmir.