Srinagar: Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman and Jamia Masjid’s head cleric, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday condemned the ruling regime for caging him in his own residence on almost every Friday.

Mirwaiz said that “Jammu and Kashmir has been converted into a police state and a reign of terror has been let loose to instill fear among the population through curbs and heavy deployment of forces at every nook and corner of Kashmir Valley.”

Addressing congregational Friday prayers at the historical Jamia Masjid after remaining under house arrest for three consecutive weeks as well as ban on Friday prayers at the Masjid for these weeks, Mirwaiz described the present situation as the ‘worst for the people’.

Mirwaiz said that the people of the Valley are confronted with serious difficulties in their day to day life whereas the unscrupulous ruling class of the state is busy in adding to the difficulties of the people and repression on resistance leadership to please their masters through their acts of sycophancy and acting as more loyal than the king.

“Curbs and restrictions do continue to be placed on our political, religious and other social activities and by use of force we are denied to discharge our political and religious responsibilities whereas rural areas of South and North Kashmir are facing force’s wrath through continuous Cordon and Search Operations (CASOs) during which people including elderly, women and children are kept out of their homes and shelters in these bone chilling cold days for hours together,” he said.

He said in the name of anti-militancy operations, homes of common people are vandalized and property damaged as police and forces know there is no one to make them accountable.

Mirwaiz said just in the recent past, during military operations, two lactating mothers from Handwara and Shopian areas namely Misra Bano and Ruby Jan were killed leaving behind two suckling baby girls and thus snatching from these infants their motherly hugs and kisses.

He said a poor innocent and unarmed taxi driver Asif Iqbal of Thundipora, Kupwara was killed by the soldiers for none of his faults.

Mirwaiz said J&K has practically been converted into a police state where police and army are running the roost. “Those who claim themselves to be the rulers have failed to provide even basic amenities like electricity, drinking water etc to the population,” he said.

He said in the most difficult weather conditions of the ongoing cold season there is serious shortage of electricity and drinking water besides worst condition of roads which leads to road accidents on regular basis causing death and injury to the commuters reflects complete apathy of the rulers towards people.

He said that Sadak bijli and pani are not luxuries but basic necessities of life but ironically, those at the helm of affairs busy in enjoying the perks of power have failed to deliver on that

Meanwhile, Mirwaiz also hit out at the ruling regime for putting curbs in downtown and disallowing Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid repeatedly and termed it as act of oppression and vendetta against the innocent people of downtown for their unflinching support for the movement.

He said, however, these curbs were not going to break their resolve.

Mirwaiz also termed the recent announcement of social media gag on government employees a defeat of the rulers, stating that claims of democracy stand punctured through this autocratic diktat.

Guest