Srinagar, July 10 (IANS) Kashmir’s senior religious leader and chief cleric Mirwaiz Maulana Umar Farooq on Friday spurned the request sent to him by former J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah to join the Jantar Mantar protest, saying he would join the protest if it was also for the resolution of the Kashmir issue and for the release of incarcerated separatist leaders and youth.

In a nutshell, the Mirwaiz in his Friday sermon spurned the offer to join the Jantar Mantar protest by imposing his own conditions for the proposed protest.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq told the Friday congregation at the Jama Masjid that he had received an invitation from Farooq Abdullah yesterday, requesting that he join the Jantar Mantar protests.

He said everyone knows how the Government of India acted unilaterally to downgrade J&K and make it a Union Territory. He added that all constitutional rights were snatched from the people and all constitutional guarantees were removed, resulting in a situation in which the entire people of J&K were disempowered politically and became weak socially and economically.

He said that if any political party, group, or individual sincerely wants to agitate for the restoration of their people’s rights, such a move is always welcome and appreciated.

However, he said the basic question is that it was the responsibility of the National Conference, which was given a clear mandate by the people in 2024 to fight for the restoration of the people’s usurped rights.

Mirwaiz said people gave the National Conference a clear mandate on the condition that, once it forms the government, it would ensure that all usurped rights of the people of J&K are restored.

He said the proposed protest should not have been limited to the restoration of statehood, but should also have included the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A, and the restoration of the original status of J&K state.

He added that the protest should have been for the release of leaders held in various jails and the youth held in different jails.

Mirwaiz said these people are not released even after courts grant them bail. He added that everyone knows that the people of J&K want peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue through dialogue between the concerned parties.

He said this protest should also have included a demand for the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said the historic day of July 13 is approaching. He said it was on this day in 1931 that the first revolt against autocratic rule and for social, religious and political rights was started by their people, and those people became the first martyrs of Kashmir.

He said their funeral prayers were offered in this very Jama Masjid lawn where they have gathered today, and late Mirwaiz Maulana Yusuf Shah led the funeral prayers of those martyrs. They were then taken in a procession and buried at the lawns of the nearby Naqashband Sahib mosque.

He said every year, in remembrance and respect of those martyrs, a peaceful procession would start from Jama Masjid and the Mirwaiz Manzil and that procession would end at the martyrs’ graveyard.

Mirwaiz said tributes would be paid to the martyrs of 1931 and the vow to carry on their struggle would be renewed. He added that for the last few years, restrictions have been imposed on July 13 and they are placed under house arrest to prevent them from offering tribute to their martyrs.

He said even the state holiday on July 13 was withdrawn, but this will not diminish their respect, love and commitment to the cause of those martyrs.

He asserted that if the administration allows the people to come out on July 13, afternoon Nimaz would be offered at the Jama Masjid, and then people would move to the martyrs’ graveyard at Naqashband Sahib to pay tribute to the first martyrs of J&K, whose sacrifices the people can never forget.

–IANS

sq/dan