'Burhan Wani Day' rally cancelled

London : Birmingham city council on Wednesday withdrew its permission for a planned rally to mark "Day" on Saturday after India lodged a protest with the UK government against the "glorification of terrorists".

The rally was being planned by UK-based Kashmiri groups to mark the first death anniversary of the commander of the militant outfit killed in a gun battle with Indian armed forces in the Kashmir Valley on July 8 last year. India on Monday protested to the UK over the planned rally.

"We took a booking for a peaceful rally highlighting the human rights abuse in Kashmir. However, we are now aware of concerns raised about the promotional leaflet and, having assessed the material, have not given permission for the use of Victoria Square," a Birmingham City Council spokesperson said.

India's deputy high commissioner, Dinesh Patnaik, sent a "note verbale" on Monday to the Foreign Office including details of Wani's crimes and propagation of violence in the Valley.

"A rally on



Kashmir is a different matter but to glorify and eulogise a terrorist is unacceptable. The UK itself has suffered at the hands of terrorism in the last few months and lives have been overturned as a result. How can law and order allow such a glorification of terrorists and propagation of violence," wrote Patnaik.

The senior diplomat also questioned if the UK government would allow the same UK-based protest groups, which have their origins in Pakistan, to organise a rally in favour of Pakistani-origin Khuram Butt and other terrorists involved in the attack on London Bridge last month which claimed eight lives.

"If the same people celebrating Wani were to plan a similar glorification of Khuram Butt and the other London Bridge terrorists, would this country's law and order allow that to go ahead as well," he questioned, adding that the joint statement issued following British Prime Minister Theresa May's visit to India in November 2016 had categorically stated joint action against all forms of terrorism.