Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravishankar briefly met Muzaffar Wani, father of Hizbul Mujahidden commander Burhan Wani who was killed by security forces in Kashmir on July 8. The spiritual guru in a tweet said that they discussed “several issues”. Wani was quoted by Kashmir Reader as saying that he met Ravishankar after visiting the foundation’s Bengaluru ashram for treatment for ailments.

Want told Kashmir Reader, “He came to meet me for 3-4 minutes and asked me about how my two sons were killed… I told him the whole story of how my elder son (Khalid Wani) was killed when he had gone to the forest, and how Burhan had left home to actually fight.” He added that Ravishankar did not ask him anything else, and that he (Wani) had only returned to Tral, Kashmir, with some medication for himself.

The killing of Burhan Wani in July sparked violence in Jammu and Kashmir that is still continuing. Places in the state have been under curfew since Wani’s death on July 8, and the state has suffered a severe economic loss, besides the 71 people killed and thousands injured in violence and protests. The Centre and ruling People’s Democratic Party-led government have repeatedly appealed for peace. Pakistan has also asked for a plebiscite in the region and on Saturday appointed a team to campaign against “Indian atrocities” in the state.