Amit Shah’s ‘apolitical’ Kashmir visit comes amidst high turnout in Lok Sabha polls, Jamaat’s peace overtures

BJP downplays Amit Shah's Kashmir visit amid election, as JeI expresses willingness to join electoral process.

The BJP has downplayed the upcoming two-day visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to the Kashmir valley as “apolitical”, even though it comes in the midst of the ongoing Lok Sabha election and is triggering jitters among the regional parties, the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The unscheduled visit also comes against the backdrop of recent peace overtures by the banned socio-religious group Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI).

“The Home Minister’s visit is apolitical. He will chair a meeting to review the arrangements for the Amarnath Yatra and meet local delegations,” BJP leader and Kashmir in-charge Sunil Sharma said, adding that people from different communities, such as the Gujjars, Bakerwals, and Dal dwellers, could meet him. Mr. Sharma reiterated that Assembly elections in J&K “will be held soon, and Statehood will also be restored”.

The Home Minister is likely to arrive in Srinagar on Thursday evening and will review security arrangements here. His visit comes days after the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency went to the polls, recording a healthy voter turnout of 38% for the first time since 1999.

Mr. Shah’s unscheduled visit was preceded by a statement from the JeI, expressing its willingness to join the electoral process. In multiple interviews to local news outlets over the past two days, Ghulam Qadir Wani, a JeI leader from Pulwama’s Gussu, said, “The JeI will consider participating in elections if the ban is revoked. If the situation allows, we will restore the old practice of joining electoral politics. I did cast a vote recently. It is a democratic way and there is no other way.”

He described the participation of the youth in the Srinagar Lok Sabha poll as “a good omen”.

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“It’s encouraging that youth have started taking interest in local issues. It will instil a sense of community in them. Even the Quran and Islam put thrust on a just society, where there is no bloodshed and no corruption. Youth’s participation is a good omen and it needs to be cashed in on. It will bode well for the future of Kashmir,” said Mr. Wani, who heads a panel of the banned JeI.