'Baseless, frivolous and disgusting' to accuse me of genocide of Kashmiri Pandits: Yasin Malik

Jailed separatist leader Yasin Malik has told the Delhi High Court that allegations of genocide and gang rape of Kashmiri Pandits against him were “baseless, frivolous and disgusting,” insisting that even Shankracharyas and national leaders had engaged with him publicly despite the charges being repeatedly aired in the media and by investigators.

In his affidavit, Malik questioned why “two Shankracharyas hailing from two different Matths had separately visited my residence in Srinagar not once, but umpteen number of times and also held press conference with me” if the allegations had substance. “Isn't it intriguing and a point to ponder over, that instead of keeping someone like me at bay, such representatives of the majority community decided to associate their good name with someone facing such grave and heinous allegations?” he wrote.

Dismissing claims that the Pandit exodus was triggered by his role, Malik argued that the official record did not support such a narrative. He pointed out that the then DGP Kuldeep Khoda had stated in 2010 that 167 Kashmiri Pandits were killed between 1990 and 2010, with most deaths occurring in four massacres, Sangrampora-Budgam, Wandhama-Ganderbal, Shopian and Dodda, after 1996.

“I had publicly mourned, vehemently criticised, held strikes (Kashmir Bandhs) and actively participated in the cremation process of the unfortunate deceased, the Kashmiri Pandits,” Malik said, recounting his presence at the Dodda massacre site. He said BJP leader and later Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh had acknowledged his arrival at the cremation, remarking that he knew Malik would “most certainly come.”

Rejecting the National Investigation Agency’s accusations, Malik asserted: “A completely wrong narrative has been framed against me in the media followed by the NIA. I welcome the Intelligence Bureau to place on record all the plausible information relevant to the period which can prove beyond reasonable doubt, for if I had any involvement whatsoever, in the alleged genocide or gang rape of Kashmiri Pandits. I shall hang myself without any trial and pronounce my name to go down the annals of history as a blot and curse to the mankind.”

Malik claimed that six successive governments from VP Singh to Manmohan Singh had engaged him for dialogue and international outreach. He recounted meetings with leaders including Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who told him, “kaache dhange kaa hee sahi, hamare saath koi naa koi rishta zaroor rakhne,” and with Manmohan Singh, who, according to Malik, “without any hesitation said, I consider you father of non-violent movement in Kashmir.”

Maintaining that the migration of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990 was a “planned operation” after Governor Jagmohan’s arrival, Malik alleged: “The Kashmiri Pandits were first asked to migrate for the brutality to follow.”

Calling the charges against him shameful, Malik wrote: “It is such a shameful act by NIA that not even a street goon/fraud can even imagine of.”