Kashmir Inc. held a sit-in protest at the city-center LalChowk in Srinagar on Friday against the summoning of Hurriyat (M) chairmanMirwaiz Umar Farooq to New Delhi by National Investigation Agency (NIA) andcrackdown on religious leaders.
Various trade bodies who had gathered during the protestcondemned the summoning of Mirwaiz and termed the move as a direct interferencewith the religious affairs of the people.
The protesting traders were carrying placards withmessages like “NIA summon to Mirwaiz not acceptable’, ‘victimisation andharassment intolerable’, ‘religious interference intolerable’, ‘Stop religiousinterference’.
The protesting traders said the Mirwaiz is an institutionunique to Kashmiri’s cultural ethos and that the Muslims of Kashmir cuttingacross political and ideological divides have a deep emotional and religiousassociation with the pulpit of Jamia Masjid.
They said that not only Muslims but even the KashmiriPandits and Sikhs hold the Mirwaiz in high esteem.
The sit in was attended by the representatives of variousorganisations which included KEA, KTMF, KCCI, KTMF(R), Beopar Mandal S R Gunj,and transport bodies.