Hurriyat (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was once for the sixth consecutive week barred from offering Friday prayers as he continues to be kept under house detention.The joint resistance had decided to offer Friday prayers at Budgam to pay homage to the seven boys brutally killed by the Indian forces for the conduct of farcical elections and express solidarity with their bereaved families and the people of Budgam, but as usual the state forcibly disallowed from doing so and all roads leading to Budgam were sealed and curfew imposed in the entire town. Denouncing this attitude of the authorities Hurriyat said the repeated highhandedness of those in power had outlived its effectiveness and only further exposed the anti Kashmiri and suppressive mindset of the state.The Hurriyat further stated that brazen violation and repression of the religious rights of Kashmiri Muslims had become the norm in the Muslim majority disputed territory. Preventing people from offering prayers, locking down Mosques Khanqahs and Imambaras as and when desired, harassing prayer goers and beating them had become the order of the day in Kashmir and only evoked contempt and defiance against those occupying us.Referring to the recent statement by Home Minister of India Rajnath Singh vis a vis Kashmir as provocative, Hurriyat said that he had touched a new low by threatening Kashmiris and endorsing the Army Chiefs belligerent statement against the people of Kashmir.
The Hurriyat said those who believe that aggression and repression as a policy can succeed in establishing dominance over people and force them into submission have a very narrow and erred understanding of human resilience in the face of oppression especially when they are pursuing a just cause.Hurriyat said in the best interest of all GOI should accept the reality in and of Kashmir more so after the recent people’s verdict and addressing it seriously and maturely.Meanwhile, the spokesman said after the Friday prayers at Historic Jamia Masjid, a large number of Hurriyat activists and workers took out a rally led by Youth President Muhstaq Ahmad Sofi to protest against the government for foiling the Budgam Chalo march and placing the prominent Resistance leadership under House arrest or in jail. They also denounced the killing of unarmed civilians and expressed their sympathy and solidarity with the bereaved families.The spokesman strongly condemned the house arrest of Hurriyat (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Dr. Molvi Mohammad Umar Farooq and media advisor, Shahid-ul-Islam for almost a month saying such dictatorial acts would not make the leaders to retreat from their demand for the right to self determination. (KNS)