SRINAGAR:The Jumat-ul-Vida (last Friday of Ramadan) congregational prayers at Kashmir’s grand mosque – Jamia Masjid in Srinagar – has been disallowed by the authorities on Friday.
Witnesses said that the mosque was closed for worshippers while authorities prevented the mosque’s managing body from making preparations for Jumat-ul-Vida prayers on Friday morning.
Meanwhile, Mirwaiz Kashmir Umar Farooq was also put under house arrest on Friday morning and no one was allowed to come in or go out of the residence.
Security personnel also stopped media persons from entering Mirwaiz’s residence in Nigeen locality of Srinagar after he called a press conference on Friday morning.
A spokesperson of Anjuman-e-Auqaf Jamia Masjid, the managing body of the historic mosque located in Nowhatta locality of downtown Srinagar, said that the authorities locked the main gates at 6 am on Friday, soon after the morning prayer session was over.
“They put padlocks on the gates of the mosque and told us that Friday prayers will not be allowed. They didn’t give any reason in writing,” said the Anjuman-e-Auqaf spokesperson.
Jumat-ul-Vida is the last Friday of the sacred Islamic month of Ramzan and thousands were anticipated to participate in the congregational prayers at Jamia Masjid where Mirwaiz was scheduled to deliver his first sermon on this occasion following the reading down of Article 370.
