What is brewing? Umar Farooq’s Delhi visit sparks speculations in Kashmir and Capital

After his recent release from prolonged house arrest spanning a little over four years, the Valley’s popular head priest has been allowed to move out of Kashmir “on a personal visit”, as confirmed by the management of Srinagar’s central mosque.

Mirwaiz in Delhi

Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid, an organisation that looks after Srinagar’s historic grand mosque, confirmed that its president and Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir (head priest of Kashmir) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was allowed by the Jammu and Kashmir administration to travel to New Delhi on January 8.

“Mirwaiz had conveyed the personal nature of his visit after which the authorities allowed him. Despite his release from house detention in September 2023, he is repeatedly detained at his house on Fridays,” Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid said, adding in its statement that the head priest will be back in the Kashmir Valley in a couple of weeks or so.

Tongues wag

The management body of the mosque also claimed that Mirwaiz has not been allowed to visit the central mosque since the Israel-Palestinian conflict re-erupted on October 7. On Fridays, Umar Farooq delivers the mandatory Friday sermons at the Jamia Masjid in downtown Srinagar, whenever allowed by the authorities.

Nevertheless, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq’s Delhi sojourn has given rise to speculation that the visit could be a result of political outreach on the part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. Social media users shared their opinions on Mirwaiz's Delhi visit.

Conflicting reactions

“Mirwaiz is a popular public figure, a religious leader and a politician too. There is nothing personal about him or his visits. He should have announced his Delhi visit himself,” Riyaz Ahmed, a veteran political analyst, told The Federal.

Abid Zargar, a social media user, said Mirwaiz too was a human being and he could have his (personal) reasons to visit Delhi. “It is not a big issue. He (Mirwaiz Umar) can go anywhere,” Zargar opined while cautioning against “making a mountain out of a molehill”.

Geelani faction

On his part, Mirwaiz Umar said he was on a two-week personal visit to New Delhi with his close family members. Mirwaiz’s mother is accompanying him. On December 31, the home ministry declared the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, once headed by the late Syed Ali Shah Geelani and later by incarcerated Hurriyat leader Masarat Alam Bhat in Jammu and Kashmir, a proscribed organisation under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for allegedly fomenting militancy and “spreading anti-India activities”.

Ministry statement

Before this, the ministry also placed a ban on the Jammu and Kashmir Muslim League headed by jailed politician Masarat Alam. According to a statement issued by the ministry, “The objective of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Jammu and Kashmir (TeH), is to separate Jammu and Kashmir from India and establish Islamic rule in Jammu and Kashmir. This organisation has been involved in fomenting terrorism and anti-India propaganda for fuelling secessionism in Jammu and Kashmir, which is prejudicial to the sovereignty, security and integrity of India.”

The TeH was founded by Syed Ali Geelani in 2004 after breaking ties with the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) while calling it a “purification process”.

The ministry has not banned the Hurriyat faction headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq thus far.

Baig returns to PDP

In yet another interesting turn of events, senior unionist politician and Jammu and Kashmir’s former deputy chief minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig rejoined the People’s Democratic Party (JKPDP) headed by former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti.

Baig returned to the party he co-founded on January 7 (Sunday), on the death anniversary of former chief minister and party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.

Baig was not alone in re-joining. Safeena, Baig’s spouse, also returned to the PDP in the presence of party president Mehbooba Mufti during a condolence meeting to commemorate the eighth death anniversary of Mufti Sayeed. The Baig family also offered prayers at Sayeed’s grave in Bijbehara town in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

Interesting developments

Mehbooba Mufti welcomed Baig’s return to the party. “Sometimes, some things happen within the family. But we should forget everything for the good of the coming times,” Mufti said.

Baig has been a vocal critic of Mehbooba Mufti’s politics, especially after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) walked out of its coalition with the PDP in June 2018. Political observers say these developments ahead of the coming general elections in May could prove pretty meaningful.