Stayed at Sri Sri ashram for security reasons: Burhan Wani's father

Srinagar: Slain Hizb-ul-Mujahedin commander Burhan Wani’s father Muzaffar Ahmed Wani has said that he was in Bengaluru recently for a medical check-up and chose to stay at Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s ashram to ensure his safety. He strongly denied his trip was part of any ‘Track-II dialogue’ on Kashmir.

Spiritual guru and the Art of Living founder Ravi Shankar, commonly known as Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, on Saturday evening disclosed that Mr. Wani spent two days at his ashram in Bengaluru. He tweeted, “Muzaffar Wani, the father of Burhan Wani was in the ashram for the last 2 days. We discussed several issues”.

Mr. Wani who is now back in Kashmir told reporters that he had gone to Bengaluru for treatment at the Sri Sri Rama (Ayurvedic) Hospital. He said, “I had sought an appointment with the hospital three months back but could not go there in the holy month of Ramadan and then because of the death of my son Burhan Wani. Finally when I went there I preferred to spend time in the Sri Sri ashram than in the hospital just to ensure safety to my person. It was for security reasons and not part of any Track-II diplomacy”.

He said his meeting with Sri Sri was “purely coincidental”. He said, “I just had had an opportunity to talk to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in the Ashram. It was purely coincidental. He had offered condolences on Burhan’s death on the very first day. I made it clear to him that the Indian national media is not portraying the real picture of Kashmir before the people of India as the current phase of struggle is non-violent and not part of the armed struggle in Kashmir.”

He also said, “Sri Sri asked me to suggest something for restoration of peace in Kashmir. Just in my individual capacity I asked him if he could impress upon the Indian government to initiate a multilateral dialogue with Pakistan, Hurriyat Conference and the representatives of Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh regions of the Jammu & Kashmir State.”

The Art of Living had earlier in a statement clarified that Mr. Wani was in the ashram for two days that he and Sri Sri discussed about the current situation, about the suffering and how peace and normalcy can be restored in the Valley”. It also said that it was “purely on a personal and humanitarian angle."

Muzaffar Wani is the principal at a government higher secondary school and lives in Sharifabad village of Tral area of Jammu and Kashmir’s southern Pulwama district. One of his three sons Khalid Muzaffar Wani was killed by the Army when he had along with three friends gone to meet his brother Burhan in the woods of Tral on April 13, 2015.

Burhan, the Internet-savvy poster boy of the Hizb, was along with two other militants killed by a joint party of Army’s Rashtriya Rifles and J&K police’s counterinsurgency Special Operations Group (SOG) in Kokernag area of Anantnag district on July 8 this year. His killing triggered a new wave of massive protests and violence in the Valley in which more than 70 people have died, so far.

Burhan’s two other siblings are Maimoona Muzaffar, a postgraduate of science who teaches the Quran in her village, and Naveed Alam, a student.

Meanwhile, there have been fresh protests in parts of the Valley even as curfew was lifted from southern Anantnag town and major areas of Srinagar from Sunday morning following “improvement in situation.”

A statement issued by the police here said that three incidents of stone pelting were reported from Sangam, and Ashajipora in Anantnag and Nadigam in neighbouring Shopian district. “Barring these three incidents of stone pelting, overall situation remained peaceful and under control across the valley till filing of this report,” it said. It added that restrictions under Section 144 CrPC remained in force in the Valley whereas curfew was in force in three police stations areas of Srinagar and in the towns of Pampore and Pulwama.

Reports received here said that despite incessant rains protests were held in Bandipora and Rajpora areas.