Srinagar, Dec 26 (KNS): Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Thursday evening removed the designation Chairman All Parties Hurriyat Conference from his verified X profile bio.
The updated bio now shows only his name and location details. He has over two lakh followers on the platform.
The move comes months after the Centre banned his organisation, the Awami Action Committee, under anti terror laws in 2025.
Explaining the move, the Mirwaiz said he had been under pressure from authorities for some time to change his X handle description in his capacity as Hurriyat chairman, citing the ban under the UAPA
Taking to X, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq posted, For some time now, I was being pressed by the authorities to make changes to my X (formerly Twitter) handle as Hurriyat chairman, as all constituents of Hurriyat Conference, including the Awami Action Committee that I head have been banned under the UAPA, making Hurriyat a banned organisation, failing which they will take down my handle.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
At a time when public space and avenues of communication stand severely restricted, this platform remains among the very few means available to me to reach out to my people and share my views on our issues with them, and the outside world. Under such circumstances, it is a Hobson’s choice I was left to make: Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, he posted.
After the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the Centre banned most Hurriyat constituent groups. Several senior leaders were arrested or booked under stringent laws. (KNS)