Srinagar: Senior separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is not under house arrest, Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha said on Friday. "We have neither arrested him nor is he under the house arrest," Sinha told BBC Hindi in an interview.
Noting that the father of the Mirwaiz was killed in an unfortunate incident, he said that police was placed around the separatist leader's house for his protection."Even in 2019, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was not detained under the PSA. He is neither arrested nor detained. He must decide what he wants to do," Sinha added.
However, the leaders of Mirwaiz-led Hurriyat Conference and mainstream political parties expressed surprise at Manoj Sinha's statement. Interestingly, Hurriyat Conference has today again through their press statement demanded the release of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. They have urged administration to "end his detention so that he could perform his religious duties".
The Hurriyat Conference clarified that this is an outright lie and an unbelievable statement while the fact is that Mirwaiz has been kept under house arrest for the past three years continuously despite repeated requests to the authorities by all religious scholars of Jammu and Kashmir. "Despite his appeals and pleas, he is not being allowed to come out of his house and the reports of newspapers and electronic media all over the world are a witness to this."
The statement further said that as a Mirwaiz is also prohibited from going to the Jamia Masjid on the occasion of Friday, which is a tradition in Jammu and Kashmir for centuries. "It has been a great tradition. Similarly, there are restrictions on going to other religious places on important religious occasions and organising preaching and preaching meetings there. In the light of these facts, these claims cannot be accepted as correct."
The Hurriyat Conference said that if the authorities now want to release Mirwaiz, it is a welcome step, but making such statements to hide their grievances is extremely mischievous and sad because such statements are aimed at misleading public opinion. "And there is a sinister attempt to create mistrust in the people towards the leadership."
The statement said that Mirwaiz has never sought security from anyone either today or in the past because Allah is the real protector of people and we have complete faith in Him. Hurriyat said at this stage that it is important to make it clear with reference to another statement of the Lieutenant Governor in the said interview that the Hurriyat leadership is standing on two boats. The Hurriyat Conference has also made it clear that Hurriyat Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, like his forefathers, is a person who not only believes in the basic principles of democracy but has always supported it.
Therefore, the people have the right to continue to choose their future through non-violent means without fear or support, which can ensure lasting peace and prosperity in the entire subcontinent. Meanwhile, the Grand Mufti of Jammu and Kashmir and senior leader of Muttahida Majlis Ulema, Mufti Nasirul Islam, expressed a concern to the three-year detention of Mirwaiz Moulvi Farooq and demanded his immediate release.
