Srinagar, May 20
Differences within the moderate Hurriyat faction led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq again came to the fore today during a seminar held here after supporters of different separatist leaders of the conglomerate shouted slogans against each other.

Addressing a seminar that was held in connection with the Martyrdom Week being observed by the amalgam, National Front chairman Nayeem Ahmed Khan questioned why Mirwaiz had not promptly objected to former chairman Abdul Gani Bhat’s recent statement that United Nations (UN) resolutions regarding Kashmir were not practically applicable in present times.

Bhat had made the statement earlier this month during a rally at Sopore in north Kashmir. Many leaders of the moderate Hurriyat conglomerate had distanced themselves from Bhat’s statement and it had also led to uproarious scenes at the moderate Hurriyat executive council meet held on May 8.

Khan’s words did not go well with the supporters of Mirwaiz and Bhat, who raised their voice and disrupted his address. In the meantime, the supporters of Khan and another separatist leader Shabbir Shah too stood up and almost exchanged blows with the other group.

They also raised slogans against each other and due to the pandemonium, Shah was not able to address the seminar.

Before leaving the seminar held at Raj Bagh, Shah - while backing Khan - told reporters that Mirwaiz was “answerable” on why he had not promptly objected to Bhat’s comments at Sopore. He also demanded that Bhat should tender an apology in public over his UN comments.

Shah and Khan made the comments despite the fact that Mirwaiz had issued summons to all the members of the moderate Hurriyat faction directing them to respect the Hurriyat constitution and not make individual statements in public.

However, another leader of the conglomerate, Maulana Abbas Ansari downplayed the incident, saying it was an “internal fight” that took place “everywhere” including Parliament.

Mirwaiz was not present at the seminar as he had been placed under house arrest. Mirwaiz has already called for a shutdown tomorrow to commemorate the death anniversaries of his father Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq and separatist leader Abdul Gani Lone.

Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq was killed by unidentified gunmen at his Nigeen residence in 1990. Lone was also killed by unidentified gunmen on the same day in 2002 during the visit of separatist leaders to the Eidgah graveyard to pay tributes to Mirwaiz on his death anniversary.