Srinagar: A day after removing the reference to 'Chairman, All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC)' from his X handle, Kashmir's chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday said that he was compelled to make the change after being repeatedly pressed by the authorities, who warned that his account could be taken down otherwise.

In a post on X, the Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said the authorities had asked him 'for some time now' to modify his profile as Hurriyat chairman, arguing that all constituents of the Hurriyat Conference - including the Awami Action Committee (AAC) that he heads - have been banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), effectively rendering the Hurriyat a banned organisation.

'Failing which they will take down my handle,' the Mirwaiz wrote, explaining the circumstances that led to the removal of the Hurriyat designation from his profile. Describing the decision as a 'forced' one, the Mirwaiz said the shrinking of public space and communication avenues in Kashmir had left him with little choice. '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,' he said.

Calling it a 'Hobson's choice', the Mirwaiz suggested that retaining access to the platform was crucial for him to continue engaging with the public, even if it meant conceding to the authorities' demand on how he describes his political position online.

The clarification came amid speculation on social media and in political circles after users noticed that the Mirwaiz's X bio no longer mentioned his role as Hurriyat chairman.

The Hurriyat Conference, an amalgam of separatist groups, has been under sustained pressure from the government in recent years, with several of its constituents being banned and their leaders facing legal action.

There was no immediate response from the authorities to the Mirwaiz's claim that he was warned of his account being taken down if the changes were not made.

'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. 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 said in a statement issued on X on Friday.