Srinagar- Kashmir’s chief preacher Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Saturday sought Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s intervention to stop a spiritual and meditation event facilitated by self-styled godman Swami Dhyan Sumit in the Union Territory.

Expressing concern over reports on the “Tantra in Silence” programme scheduled in Gurez Valley from September 24 to 27, the Mirwaiz called upon the authorities concerned to stop exploitation of Kashmir’s religious, cultural and social ethos.

“The concerned authorities @CM_JnK, @omarabdullah should immediately take note and stop this exploitation!” he said in a post on X.

The Mirwaiz said the concern raised by Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti deserves immediate attention.

“That this kind of programme is being allowed in Gurez in Kashmir, when a similar programme by this organisation was cancelled by police in Goa, due to public outrage over its obscene promotional details, is outrageous!” he said.

The Mirwaiz said Kashmir is the land of sufis and saints where spirituality is experienced, “not marketed at a cost! Besides, tourism promotion cannot become an excuse to undermine our religious, cultural and social ethos and ignore our values and sensibilities.”

Mehbooba, in an earlier post, had asked Omar Abdullah and police to intervene and take appropriate action.

“A poster is advertising a “Tantra (in) Silence” retreat in Gurez Valley, Srinagar. A similar ‘Tantra’ retreat facilitated by Swami Dhyan Sumit, a self-styled godman promoting a new religion under the Shree Rajneesh Foundation, was cancelled in Goa last year after its obscene promotional material sparked widespread controversy, and Goa Police had to intervene,” Mehbooba said in an X post.

She said Gurez is no playground for experiments in the name of spirituality or tourism.

“I request @CM_JnK and @JmuKmrpolice to intervene immediately and take appropriate action. I also appeal to @MirwaizKashmir and @office_mufti to raise awareness about this issue,” the PDP chief added.