Forced to drop Hurriyat chairman designation from X after govt pressure: Cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq
The prominent Kashmir cleric also said that X platform remain a strong tool of communication at a time when means of communication are getting restricted.
Kashmir Cleric and chairman of Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, has claimed he was forced to drop the designation from his X profile following pressure from authorities.
Umar Farooq made the revelation in a post on X (formerly Twitter) saying he was told to change the designation as all factions of Hurriyat chairman are banned by the Central government under the provisions of Unlawful Activities Prevention (UAPA).
He also informed of the threats that his X account may taken down if he failed to do so.
"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."
The Kashmir cleric said X remains a strong platform at time when speces of communication remains restricted.
"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.
Mirwaiz Farooq became the first chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) formed under umbrella of organisations comprising traders' bodies, political and other civil society groups. As per the APHC charter, Kashmir is a disputed region and should be dealt with UN resolution.