A day after the governor’s administration removed security cover of chairman Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, as many as 200 youth thronged the MirwaizManzil in RajouriKadal to volunteer for guarding the chief cleric of Kashmir.
At least 200 youth registered themselves as Mirwaiz’s guards.
“Emotional scenes were witnessed at the Awami Action Committee headquarters (MirwaizManzil) with youths registering their names to voluntarily guard the Mirwaiz,” said Mushtaq Ahmed Sufi, president youth wing of AAC.
“There are thousands of youths willing to guard Mirwaizsahab. He is our leader and religious preacher,” said a youth who registered himself for the protection of Mirwaiz.
An AAC functionary said scores of youths have been shortlisted as Mirwaiz’s security personnel.
Mirwaiz wrote on Twitter: “Moved by the love and affection of these young men, my gratitude to their selfless love”.
On Sunday, the state administration withdrew security cover to four separatists including Mirwaiz in the aftermath of Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF men were killed last week.
“All security and any vehicles provided to the separatist leaders would stand withdrawn by Sunday evening,” officials had said. The separatists, however, termed the withdrawing of the security a non-issue for them.
“The government and its propagandist anti-Kashmir media have repeatedly been raking up the issue of police personnel provided to the resistance leadership, knowing well it has no bearing, nor can it in any way change the reality of the lingering Kashmir dispute,” Hurriyat (M) had said in a statement.