Overview
- Mirwaiz confirmed he removed the All Parties Hurriyat Conference title from his verified X profile and edited his Facebook bio, which now identifies him as a spiritual leader.
- He said authorities pressed him to drop the designation, citing UAPA bans on Hurriyat constituents including his Awami Action Committee, and warned his X account could be blocked.
- Calling the move a “Hobson’s choice,” he said limited public space makes social media one of the few ways he can communicate with people in Kashmir and outside.
- Speaking to The Indian Express, he described the situation as coercion and said the profile change does not reflect any shift in his stand on a peaceful resolution associated with Hurriyat.
- Political reactions included support from PDP’s Waheed Para and concern from NC’s Tanvir Sadiq, while analysts read the step as further evidence of the separatist camp’s marginalisation; the cleric was also stopped from leading Friday prayers at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid.