The political landscape in India has been rocked by explosive claims from Yasin Malik, the jailed Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader, whose recent affidavit before the Delhi High Court has reignited fierce debate over the Congress party’s decades-long approach to separatism and terrorism. Malik’s statement, submitted on September 19, 2025, alleges that successive Indian governments, including those led by the Congress, not only engaged him as a peace interlocutor but also actively facilitated his meetings with some of India’s most wanted terrorists, including Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind behind the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
According to Bar and Bench, Malik’s affidavit details how, in 2006, he traveled to Pakistan at the request of India’s Intelligence Bureau (IB) Special Director VK Joshi to meet Hafiz Saeed and other militant leaders. "I was specifically requested for this meeting with Hafiz Saeed and other militant leaders of Pakistan on the pretext that militancy and peace dialogues cannot go in tandem, given the bomb blast which happened in the National Capital," Malik asserted. Upon his return, Malik claims he briefed then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and National Security Advisor NK Narayanan, and Singh "conveyed his gratitude to me for my efforts, time, patience and dedication."
These revelations have drawn sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies, who accuse the Congress of having a long history of appeasement and political expediency at the expense of national security. BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh, speaking in Jammu on September 19, lambasted the Congress, National Conference (NC), and People’s Democratic Party (PDP), stating that the affidavit "has blown the cover off the UPA’s double games, where on the one hand the country was bleeding under terror attacks and on the other hand, the Congress was busy laying out red carpets for separatists." Chugh added, "Congress, NC, and PDP treated separatists and terrorists as partners, while Prime Minister Modi’s government treats them as criminals."
Malik’s affidavit goes beyond the 2006 episode, tracing his involvement in dialogue efforts across six consecutive Indian governments, from VP Singh’s tenure through Manmohan Singh’s administration. He claimed repeated invitations from prime ministers and national security officials to participate in peace initiatives and to represent the Kashmiri cause on both domestic and international platforms. Malik recounted that during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government, he was approached by then Special IB Director Ajit Kumar Doval, who arranged meetings with IB Director Shyamal Dutta and National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra. "They both stated that our Prime Minister is serious in the talks process to resolve the Kashmir issue, and that I should support his Ramzan ceasefire," Malik submitted, according to Bar and Bench.
In 2002, Malik spearheaded a state-wide signature campaign promoting non-violence and dialogue, gathering 1.5 million signatures over two and a half years. He was formally invited to talks by Manmohan Singh in 2006, after which he traveled to the United States to meet officials at the US State Department. However, Malik alleges that Singh soon faced political backlash, which disrupted the peace initiative. He also described meetings with Congress Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and opposition leaders in an effort to bring them on board with Vajpayee’s peace process.
Malik’s affidavit also addressed some of the most serious accusations against him. He categorically denied involvement in the genocide or mass rape of Kashmiri Pandits during their exodus from the Valley. "There are unsubstantiated claims that the Kashmiri Pandits' exodus happened because of the alleged genocide and gang initiated by me… I shall hang myself without any trial and pronounce my name to go down the annals of history as a blot and curse to mankind," he stated, as quoted by Bar and Bench. Malik also rejected allegations that he encouraged stone-pelting after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in 2016, calling these charges politically motivated.
For many, however, Malik’s claims evoke painful memories. He stands accused of murdering four Indian Air Force officers, kidnapping Rubiya Saeed, and overseeing the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits. According to several reports, Congress-backed governments in the 1990s allowed separatists like Malik to travel abroad and present anti-India propaganda, even as violence raged in the Valley. Critics argue that this policy of dialogue at any cost handed terrorists the upper hand while demoralizing India’s security forces.
The Congress party’s record on terrorism has come under renewed scrutiny in light of these revelations. The party has been accused of questioning police actions during terror encounters and acting as a brake on India’s war against terror. The 2008 Batla House encounter, where Delhi Police officers neutralized Indian Mujahideen terrorists, became a flashpoint. Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, were reported to have shown sympathy for the slain terrorists rather than honoring Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma, who died in the operation. Later, leaders like Salman Khurshid described Batla House as "a blot on the nation’s conscience." Such reactions, critics argue, sent a message that the party’s sympathies lay with those accused of terrorism rather than with their victims.
Malik’s affidavit also reignited debate over the Congress’s handling of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Instead of maintaining a singular focus on Lashkar-e-Taiba and Pakistan’s ISI, Congress leaders began shifting the discourse to so-called "Hindu terror" in unrelated contexts, a move that many believe diluted global attention on the real masterminds in Pakistan.
BJP’s Tarun Chugh didn’t stop at the UPA era. He invoked the Congress’s historical decisions, including the imposition of Article 370 and 35A, which he said created "a state within a state" and led to 170,000 Kashmiri Pandits becoming refugees in their own country. Chugh also described the appointment of Sheikh Abdullah as Chief Minister following his arrest as "the biggest conspiracy against India’s sovereignty in Kashmir." He accused the NC and PDP of echoing Pakistan’s propaganda and compromising national interest for political gain.
Amid these political crossfires, Malik’s affidavit—filed under sealed cover and scheduled for further hearing in November—serves as a stark reminder of the complex, often murky intersection of politics, security, and the quest for peace in Kashmir. While Malik presents himself as a lifelong advocate of dialogue, his violent past and the suffering of Kashmiri Pandits remain indelible scars on the nation’s conscience. As BJP leaders frame the Modi government’s approach as a decisive break from the "red carpets" of the past, the Congress faces mounting pressure to account for its legacy.
For now, the nation watches as old wounds are reopened and new questions are raised: How far should governments go in the pursuit of peace? And at what cost to justice and memory? The answers, it appears, are still painfully elusive.
