Former Indian premier Manmohan Singh on Sunday held the right-wing Narendra Modi-led government responsible for the worsening situation in India-held Kashmir (IHK), NDTV reported.

There has been a noticeable increase in violence in IHK since Modi's hardline Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came into power. The Indian army's crackdown on protests and separatist movements in Kashmir have led to more riots. Militancy in held Kashmir has increased since the Indian army killed a popular commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, Burhan Wani, in 2016.

Singh, speaking at the Indian National Congress plenary session in New Delhi, said: "India must recognise the "problems in Jammu and Kashmir" and ensure that these problems are "tackled and sorted".

The former Indian PM claimed that the reason behind the situation in Kashmir ─ which he said was "deteriorating day in and day out" ─ was the alliance between the BJP and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) which was formed after the 2014 Indian general election. Due to the ideological differences between both parties, the "two wings of administration" were working against each other.

The PDP, as opposed to its ruling ally, emphasises holding dialogue with separatists to reach a solution to the growing unrest in the region. The BJP, however, advocates use of force to suppress negative sentiment against the Indian government.

"Our borders are not secure," Singh said. "Cross-border terrorism, internal terrorism, internal insurgency; they are today issues which are a source of great worry to all our citizens as the Modi government has not found a way of tackling this problem."

Explore: A new age of militancy in held Kashmir

Ceasefire violations across the Line of Control and the Working Boundary have also increased under the Modi administration. Earlier this year, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif told the Senate that the Indian army had violated the ceasefire agreement 170 times in January alone.

Opinion

Editorial

Lull in fighting
Updated 28 Jul, 2026

Lull in fighting

AFTER two weeks of escalating violence, the US has halted its strikes on Iran, with Tehran also silencing it guns....
Water policy
28 Jul, 2026

Water policy

THE country is caught in a crisis where there too much water at the wrong time and too little when it is most ...
Ending hepatitis
28 Jul, 2026

Ending hepatitis

WORLD Hepatitis Day is being observed under the theme ‘Hepatitis: Let’s break it down’, a call to remove the...
Writing on the wall
27 Jul, 2026

Writing on the wall

EVERY few months, another set of figures reminds Pakistan of a painful reality. Sahil’s latest Six Months Cruel...
Still unprepared
27 Jul, 2026

Still unprepared

EVEN as Pakistan counts around 100 deaths since the onset of the monsoon season on June 26, it is bracing for ...
Delayed devolution
27 Jul, 2026

Delayed devolution

THE debate over Islamabad’s reluctance to fully let go of devolved subjects has been running since 2010. But it ...