Amit Shah’s Srinagar visit rankles Valley leaders: ‘Why is he here when BJP is not contesting?’

Immediately after his arrival in Srinagar, he met several delegations from different communities, including Gujjars, Bakarwals, Paharis and Sikhs.

After meeting the delegations, Shah met a group of BJP leaders at a Srinagar hotel. Sources said Shah emphasised on the need to end the “dynastic rule” in Jammu and Kashmir and asked his party cadres to ensure that maximum people vote against the National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party and the Congress.

The mainstream political leaders in the Valley have raised apprehensions about the objectives of Shah’s visit to Kashmir especially in the midst of Lok Sabha elections and when the BJP is not directly contesting any seat in the Valley.

“Doesn’t it look strange that the Home minister is leaving his election campaign and coming for two days to a place where they are not contesting elections,” NC chief Omar Abdullah told the reporters on the side-lines of an election campaign rally in Bandipore. “Perhaps, they know that Aga Ruhullah (NC candidate from Srinagar) has already won the Srinagar seat and are now making attempts to damage the prospects of the National Conference,” he said.

Senior PDP leader and former minister Naeem Akhtar also expressed surprise at Shah’s Valley visit. “In the middle of a crucial election, visiting Kashmir where the party isn’t even fielding candidates! Hope everything is alright,” Akhtar posted on X.

Sources said delegation members of the Pahari community expressed their gratitude to the Home minister for giving the Scheduled Tribe status to them. They said the Gujjar leaders expressed their reservations on the ST status to the Pahari community but they were assured that it wouldn’t affect their interests in any manner.

A delegation of the Sikh community also met the Home minister and sought an employment package on the pattern of what migrant Kashmiri pandits get.