Muzaffar Wani, the father of popular militant commander Burhan Wani, hoisted the national flag at a school in Tral area of south Kashmir on Sunday.
Wani, who is a principal of a government school, hoisted the flag at Government Girls School Tral as the government had directed all government offices including the education department to hoist the flag at district and cluster level on 15 August in Jammu and Kashmir.
Wani’s two sons – Burhan and Khalid Wani, were both killed by the government forces. Burhan was a prominent commander of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit, who popularised militancy among youth, leading to what was called “new age militancy” between 2012 to 2016. The family had accused that Khalid was not a militant but still killed.
The government had ordered all government offices, schools, and colleges to hold I-day ceremonies and sing the national anthem too.
On Saturday, Wani had refuted the rumors regarding his resignation from the government job, as apprehensions had emerged due to the directions of celebration of I-Day on 15 August.
In a video statement, Wani said: “You have asked me two things…one, that I have to hoist the flag and I have been warned. This is a rumor.”
He said, “There is no particular order issued on my name [for unfurling the Indian flag on 15 August] nor I wish to resign. Whatever is on social media is wrong and are rumors.”
In the summer of 2016, Burhan Wani was killed in a brief gunfight in Bamdoora village of Anantnag. His death was followed by months of shutdown and protests in the region.
