Hurriyat Conference (M) on Friday said that its chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq continues to be under house arrest, notwithstanding authorities’ announcement of releasing him after twenty-month-long house detention since August 2019.
The deployment of the government forces was beefed up outside Mirwaiz’s residence in Srinagar city and an armed vehicle blocked the entrance. In a statement, the Hurriyat Conference said the additional forces “in the area convert[ed] it into a garrison” and condemned the “authoritarian flip flop” of the Government.
“Government authorities went back on their decision,” reads the statement. “Late last night police officials visited the Mirwaiz’s residence to convey to him that he continues to be under house arrest, and will not be allowed to go to Jamiaa Masjid for Friday prayers and Majlis waz-o-tableeg todaym”
“Recently in the Indian parliament Government of India’s Minister of State for Home Affairs had categorically stated that no one in Jammu & Kashmir is under house arrest. If that is so why does the Mirwaiz continue to be detained?”
The Hurriyat Conference said that this “imperious decision” of the authorities has hurt the sentiments of people and further aggrieved them “as they were eagerly awaiting the Mirwaiz’s release from arbitrary house arrest.”
The Hurriyat Conference appealed to people that “they should not lose hope and show patience and at no cost resort to any form of violent protest.”
