SRINAGAR: Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Dr Moulvi Mohammad Umar Farooq was placed under house arrest on Monday and denied permission to address the annual Khawaja Digar religious gathering at Khanqah-e-Naqshband Sahib (RA), he said in a post on X.
The Mirwaiz said tens of thousands of people had gathered to participate in the religious congregation, observed annually on the third day of Rabi-ul-Awwal.
“Once again I have been denied permission to address the time-honoured religious gathering of Khawaja Digar in Naqshband Sahib today,” Mirwaiz said, adding that he had been placed under house arrest.
He termed the denial of permission unfortunate and alleged that preventing him from addressing religious congregations was linked to his political outlook and his raising of social and religious issues concerning people.
The Mirwaiz also criticised the authorities over what he described as continued restrictions on the religious rights and practices of Muslims.
He said denying people an opportunity to hear his sermon and participate in the congregation amounted to interference in their religious practices.
“Continued silence on it will only lead to normalisation of repression of religious rights of Muslims,” he said.
Mirwaiz called upon all stakeholders, particularly the elected government, to safeguard the religious rights of Muslims in Kashmir and Jammu and urged them to intervene with the authorities on the issue.
The Khawaja Digar gathering is held annually at Khanqah-e-Naqshband Sahib in Srinagar and is attended by devotees from different parts of the Valley.
