Kashmir’s chief cleric and moderate separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has removed the designation of “Chairman, All Parties Hurriyat Conference” from his verified profile on X (formerly Twitter), describing the decision as a “Hobson’s choice” amid alleged pressure from authorities.
In a post on X on December 26, Mr. Farooq stated that he had been “pressed by the authorities” for some time to alter his profile, as all constituents of the Hurriyat Conference, including the Awami Action Committee that he heads, have been banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). He added that failure to comply would result in his account being taken down.
“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 wrote.
The change, noticed on December 25 evening, left his bio containing only his name and location details. Mr. Farooq has over two lakh followers on the platform.
The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), formed in 1993 as an amalgam of separatist groups, has seen its influence wane in recent years, particularly after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 and subsequent bans on several of its constituents under UAPA.
The development drew sharp criticism from some quarters, prompting a strong response from the Office of the Mirwaiz (Mirwaiz Manzil) on X. It described the attacks as “misleading and mala fide,” alleging that a “certain coterie of opportunists” was twisting the removal into an abandonment of principles. “Mirwaiz has a great legacy to uphold and is accountable not to such elements, but to the people of J&K and to Allah,” the statement read, urging restraint to avoid “vitiating the public atmosphere.”
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra defended Mr. Farooq, likening the decision to the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah in Islamic history, where Prophet Muhammad agreed to certain concessions for peace. “History remembers this not as compromise, but as wisdom, foresight, and moral courage,” Mr. Parra posted on X. He argued that choosing peace over rigidity was leadership and cautioned against weaponising the move, saying attacks only deepened division.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti termed the removal “immaterial,” emphasising that the Hurriyat represented an “idea” of alienation that needed to be addressed politically.
National Conference spokesperson and MLA Tanvir Sadiq called the alleged pressure “wrong” and urged the government to re-examine it, noting Mr. Farooq’s role as a respected religious scholar.
Former separatist-turned-politician Sajad Lone of the People’s Conference criticised the decision, stating that comparing it to the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah amounted to “religious overstretch.”
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) welcomed the move, with spokesperson Altaf Thakur attributing it to the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, saying it left “no option but nationalism.”
Mr. Farooq was also placed under house arrest on December 26, preventing him from leading Friday prayers at Srinagar’s historic Jamia Masjid.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
