Main Hurriyat logon ki izzat karta hun, unhon ney takleef uthayi hai magar galat cause key liye (I respect Hurriyat people, they have suffered… although for the wrong cause), Jammu Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik said on Wednesday during a press conference at SKICC in Srinagar.

 Governor Malik was responding to the question on the reason for the anger among youth in Kashmir, which he admitted was a matter of concern.

 “The reason for anger among youth is that these people (youth) have been told lies and misled and brainwashed,” Governor Malik said.

 Governor Malik said that people have been lied to about different aspirations like Azadi and Autonomy. “Different politicians have lied to Kashmiri people by telling them they will get Azadi or they will fight for Autonomy,” he said, adding “I want to tell them nothing but destruction will come out of by following on this path.”

 On being asked whether he was for dialogue with Hurriyat, Governor Malik said he believes in dialogue but “I don’t have the mandate for dialogue.”

 Governor Malik said that youth in Kashmir who are picking up arms against the state are not doing Jihad.

 This is not jihad. I know more Islam than most Muslims although I am not a Muslim,” Governor Malik said.

 Dismissing unemployment as the reason for the youth to pick up arms in Jammu and Kashmir, Governor Malik said, “Unemployment is a bigger issue in other states in India, than in JK but people from other states don’t pick up arms only Kashmiri youth have,” he said.

 Governor Malik said that violence is not an option for Kashmiri youth to address their issues. “Violence will not yield anything. You can defeat us with dialogue, but not with violence,” he said.