Sri Sri Meets Burhan Wani's Father, Says Meeting Was 'Humanitarian'

Bengaluru: The father of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani, whose killing on July 8 sparked off violent protests in Jammu and Kashmir, met spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at his ashram in Bengaluru on Saturday.

On Saturday evening, Art of Living Founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar posted on Twitter a photo with Mr Wani at his ashram saying, "Muzaffar Wani, the father of Burhan Wani was in the ashram for the last two days. We discussed several issues."

The news of the meeting was also retweeted by the Art of Living foundation.

"Mr Muzaffar Wani was in the ashram for two days. Certainly, Sri Sri and Mr Wani discussed about the current situation, about the suffering and how peace and normalcy can be restored in the Valley. It was purely on a personal and humanitarian angle," a statement from Art of Living read.

"I had gone there for treatment and stayed in the ashram to seek care for some 'ailment'," Mr Wani said after the meeting.

"He (Sri Sri) did not ask me anything else. He just talked to me for five minutes or so at the most," Mr Wani told Kashmir Reader over the phone from his home in Kashmir's Tral after returning from Bengaluru.

"I came back with some medicines for myself. That is all," Muzaffar Wani said.

More than 70 people have been killed and 11,000 injured in clashes among protesters and security forces since the killing of Burhan Wani, a terrorist with a large following, in Jammu and Kashmir last month.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Saturday and presented a three-point action plan, which includes substantive dialogue with "all stakeholders" including the separatists, to end the current unrest in the state.

Last Week, during his visit to Srinagar, Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said that the Centre is open to talks with all stakeholders in Kashmir, but declined to answer when asked whether he included the Hurriyat as a stakeholder.