Modi’s expected visit to US draws ire

The Jammu Kashmir Salvation Movement (JKSM) Chairman Altaf Ahmed Bhat has expressed deep concerns over the upcoming visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the United States.

In a recent statement, he said JKSM as an organisation is committed to advocating for the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Kashmiri leader further added that prime minister Modi's past as a Hindu nationalist and his involvement in the deadly violence in Gujarat, which claimed the lives of thousands of innocent people, cannot be ignored.

“His tenure as prime minister has witnessed a sharp rise in hate crimes against minorities in India, with anti-Muslim sentiments, xenophobia, and Islamophobia permeating Indian society. These trends have been fueled by hate propaganda propagated by leaders of his party and the implementation of discriminatory laws and policies, including in occupied Kashmir.”

The situation in Jammu and Kashmir has significantly deteriorated under the policies adopted by Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he added.

“The unilateral revocation of Kashmir's special status on August 5, 2019, and the subsequent division of the state into two union territories were clear violations of UNSC resolutions.”

JKSM chairman said the people of Kashmir have endured immense hardships, with a complete siege imposed on the region for over 14 months.

“The Indian government's actions have resulted in the arbitrary arrests and harassment of thousands of innocent Kashmiris, including political activists, lawyers, business owners, journalists, students, and human rights defenders.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 17^th, 2023.