J&K: Govt bars Friday prayers at Srinagar’s Grand Mosque

J&K Government on Friday once again barred the weekly congregational prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar.

Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq termed closure of the Jamia Masjid as “rulers’ utter disdain for people’s religious rights”. 

“In the holy month of Ramadan also, the biggest mosque of valley is locked down and put under seige. Thousands of Muslims are denied the right to pray there. Such measures reflect the rulers utter disdain for people’s religious rights or hurting their sentiments which is very sad. (sic),” Mirwaiz said in a tweet.

The separatists had called a shutdown on Friday against the killing of three civilians on Thursday, one of them Arshad Hussain Dar, who on Wednesday evening succumbed to his injuries sustained during a protest against the rape of three year old in a Bandipora village.

Hurriyat had asked people to observe shutdown to protest the  killings. Hurriyat  had also urged the Imams  to raise their voice against the atrocities in their Friday sermons.