Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Tuesday asked the Hurriyat Conference to apprise him directly of cases of alleged atrocities against civilians by security forces in the state, PTI reported.

“I have a message for Hurriyat, that they should not consider me an alien,” Malik told PTI in an interview. “If they feel there is any atrocity, they can contact me on phone or send a person to me. I will treat them the way I am treating the rest of the people.”

Malik claimed that he takes calls from common citizens of the state. “My mobiles and WhatsApp have never been silent,” he said. “All those complaints which come to me on WhatsApp, I have tried to address them.” The governor attended some calls, apparently from the public, even during the interview.

Malik also asserted that he respects the leaders of the Hurriyat Conference, even though his political ideology differs from theirs. He hoped that “at some level, there will be talks too” with the separatist group. “I have met all political leaders and keep meeting them regularly,” the governor said.

The governor claimed he had met many delegations of common people and youth groups. “There is a need to establish contact with them and work according to their aspirations so that they understand that the Centre is not against them,” he added.

Governor’s Rule was imposed in Jammu and Kashmir on June 20 last year after the Bharatiya Janata Party pulled out of its ruling alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party.