Srinagar: As the J&K’s LG Manoj Sinha told BBC Hindi that the senior separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is not under arrest, the APHC rejected LG’s claim as false information and said if he is not illegal detained, he should be allowed to speak on Friday i.e. August 26 at the historic mosque of Jamia Masjid in Srinagar.
“He hasn’t been allowed to leave his residence since the evening of August 4, 2019, the Hurriyat Conference said in a statement.
“If he was not arrested, then they (administration) would allow him (Mirwaiz) to deliver the Friday sermon at the historic Jamia Masjid next Friday,” Hurriyat said.
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“If the authorities have now decided to release Mirwaiz, may he be allowed to deliver Friday’s sermon at Jama Masjid this Friday and not prevent people from gathering there to listen to him,” APHC said in a press release and called LG’s statement a blatant misrepresentation of the facts and the denial of his incarceration is “unbelievable.”
Close aides of Mirwaiz, the chief priest of Kashmir, said the only time he was allowed to leave his residence in the past three years was when he was taken for Covid-19 vaccination.
“Even then he was not free to go anywhere on his own. He was taken for vaccination under custody and except for Farooq’s close relatives, no one is allowed to enter his house,” it said.
Sinha’s statement also drew a sharp reaction from the mainstream political parties including the People’s Conference, which was part of the ruling alliance of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir along with the BJP.
People’s Conference chief Sajad Lone said the LG’s statement does not reflect the reality.
"I think LG sahib needs to verify facts. His statements don’t reflect reality. May I humbly state that the tradition of locking up leaders and then denying is an old worn-out tradition.. It has been happening for the last 3 decades," Lone said in a tweet.
National Conference vice president and former chief minister Omar Abdullah also dismissed Sinha’s statement and jibed on LG’s statement that the forces are stationed around his house for his own safety.
"The same way my colleagues were locked in their homes ‘for their own safety’ for months on 4th Aug 2019 and the same way we get trucks parked outside our gates every once in a while, because ‘inputs’ suggest an attack on Gupkar road is imminent," Abdullah tweeted.
People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti termed the LG’s claim a "bald-faced lie".
"Bald faced lie. GOI is simply intolerant of every contrarian opinion. If (the) Mirwaiz isn’t under house arrest, then he should be allowed to discharge his religious duties. Admin should walk the talk by letting him deliver next Friday’s sermon at Jama Masjid," she said.
However, the Hurriyat further alleged it also wants to clear the air on Sinha’s other remarks that its leadership has been playing both sides.
"The Mirwaiz and his forefathers represented and defended this basic interest of the people of J-K in their engagements with both India and Pakistan and in the course, suffered exile, martyrdom and incarcerations," the Hurriyat added.
Interestingly, the last tweet on Farooq’s verified Twitter handle dates back to August 4, 2019.
