Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid locked on Eid, Mirwaiz detained

SRINAGAR: Srinagar’s historical Jamia Masjid was locked and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq placed nether location apprehension Saturday connected Eid-ul-Adha, denying devotees the accidental to connection prayers and provoking a backlash from many, including CM Omar Abdullah.Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid Srinagar, which looks aft the mosque management, said the gates were closed aboriginal Saturday greeting and constabulary deployed outside. Mirwaiz and Hurriyat Conference president Umar Farooq’s household has traditionally led prayers astatine the mosque for generations.“It is profoundly regrettable that erstwhile again, radical were not allowed to connection Eid prayers astatine the historical Jamia Masjid,” Omar said. He expressed helplessness, saying instrumentality and bid successful J&K Union territory fell nether the purview of lieutenant politician (LG) Manoj Sinha’s administration.

“I person nary thought connected what grounds specified decisions are made,” the CM said.Omar urged the authorities to spot J&K’s residents, saying “these are the aforesaid radical who, aft the April 22 Pahalgam panic attack, came guardant and unequivocally condemned it”. The CM called connected “the govt” to reconsider specified actions successful the future, alluding astir apt to the medication of the Centre-appointed LG.Mirwaiz Umar Farooq decried the mosque closure.

“Yet again, Kashmir wakes up to the bittersweet reality: nary Eid prayers astatine Eidgah, and Jama Masjid locked down for 7th consecutive year. I, too, person been detained astatine my home. In a Muslim-majority region, Muslims are deprived of their cardinal close to commune adjacent connected their astir important spiritual juncture celebrated crossed the world! What a shame connected those who regularisation implicit us, and connected those elected by the radical who take to stay soundless arsenic our rights are trampled over, again and again,” the Mirwaiz posted connected X.J&K constabulary and location section had not issued immoderate connection connected locking of the mosque and Mirwaiz’s detention.PDP president and erstwhile CM Mehbooba Mufti joined the condemnation, accusing the Omar-led govt of being “mere spectators”. “J&K is the lone Muslim-majority portion successful the country, and yet it is present that a large mosque is unopen down connected Eid, denying radical their close to connection prayers. If govt claims everything is mean successful J&K, wherefore is the Mirwaiz not allowed to connection prayers,” Mehbooba said.Asked astir the restrictions, BJP functionary and J&K Waqf Board chairperson Darkshan Andrabi declined comment. “Jamia Masjid doesn’t travel nether Waqf Board,” she said.