Kashmir’s moderate separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has removed his designation as chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference from his X profile.
Mirwaiz, who is also the chief cleric of Kashmir, has over two lakh followers on his verified X handle. His edited bio now contains only his name and location details.
The Hurriyat chairman claimed that he was compelled to make the change after authorities warned that his account would be taken down.
“For some time now, I was being pressed by the authorities to make changes to my X (formerly Twitter) handle as Hurriyat chairman, as all constituents of Hurriyat Conference, including the Awami Action Committee that I head have been banned under the UAPA, making Hurriyat a banned organisation, failing which they will take down my handle, ” Mirwaiz said on X.
Mirwaiz said he had a “Hobson’s choice” and decided to remove the Hurriyat chairman title on X.
“At a time when public space and avenues of communication stand severely restricted, this platform remains among the very few means available to me to reach out to my people and share my views on our issues with them, and the outside world. Under such circumstances, it is a Hobson’s choice I was left to make, ” he added.
The ruling National Conference condemned the alleged directive to Mirwaiz. NC chief spokesperson and MLA Tanvir Sadiq said Mirwaiz is a very respected political, social and religious scholar.
“He has been talking about people and their problems for years. So I think if there is any kind of pressure, then it should be looked at. He is a very respectable religious scholar. So I think if this is the case, then it is wrong,” Sadiq said.
Peoples Democratic party MLA, Waheed Parra supported the removal of Hurriyat title by Mirwaiz from X.
Parra comparing the move to the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, where Prophet Muhammad agreed to remove certain titles in the interest of peace.
“If Mirwaiz Kashmir has removed the APHC tag as an act of peace, it must never be weaponized against him. Choosing peace over rigidity is not weakness; it is leadership,” Parra said on X.
“Mirwaiz has acted within the framework of law and circumstances. Those attacking and trolling him for this decision are deliberately trying to undermine him, making his path harder despite the extraordinary challenges he has endured and the supreme sacrifice of his father. Such attacks do not serve justice or peace, they only deepen division,” he added.
The moderate Hurriyat Conference, headed by Mirwaiz, has remained virtually defunct since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
Most of its constituent organisations were subsequently banned by the union government, including Mirwaiz’s own political outfit, the AAC. The conglomerate has rarely issued political statements over the past six years. However, Mirwaiz has continued to advocate dialogue for the resolution of the Kashmir issue during his Friday sermons at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar.
Meanwhile, the office of Kashmir’s chief cleric said that Mirwaiz was placed under house arrest on Friday and prevented from going to the Jamia Masjid, Srinagar, to deliver the sermon and offer Friday prayers.
