Defiant separatist Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has created a ticklish situation by once again refusing to comply with the summons of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with investigations in a terror funding case.
The NIA had on Thursday issued fresh summons to Mirwaiz to appear before the investigation agency’s headquarters in Delhi on 18 March. He had defied the previous summons issued for 11 March.
The Mirwaiz has used the religious platform of Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid to challenge the NIA’s summons. Addressing the congregation during Friday prayers at the Jamia Masjid, he announced that he would not travel to Delhi for any investigation and the NIA should come to Srinagar if it wanted to question him.
In a show of strength, supporters of the Mirwaiz took out a procession in the downtown after the prayers.
“New Delhi can’t intimidate us and we will continue to seek peaceful resolution of Kashmir dispute”, Mirwaiz said in his address at the mosque. He questioned whether “seeking peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue is terrorism?”
“Since 1947, conspiracies had been hatched by New Delhi against the people and the Kashmir leadership but our struggle continued,” he said, warning: “We are not going to bow down and Delhi can’t force us into submission by intimidating us.”
The NIA had last month raided the residence of Mirwaiz and some other separatists and carried out searches. Thereafter, he was summoned to Delhi for further questioning. As the NIA searched their premises, supporters of separatists indulged in violence in the downtown areas.
The NIA had claimed to have recovered incriminating documents, including letterheads of various terrorist outfits during the raids. A high-end antenna and communication system was also recovered from a separatist’s house, the NIA had claimed.
The NIA has already arrested nearly a dozen people, including seven separatists. The arrested persons include a son of Pakistan-based terror leader Syed Salahuddin and a top businessman of Kashmir. Two sons of Syed Ali Shah Geelani have also been questioned.
Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has been in the forefront to criticise the Centre and the NIA for summoning the Mirwaiz. Kashmir-based trade organisations have also criticised the move.