The Jammu and Kashmir administration authorities closed the gates of Srinagar’s Jama Masjid stopping the worshippers from attending the prayer on the last Friday of Ramadan, on Jumat-ul-Vida and Shab-e-Qadr, one of the most auspicious nights of the Islamic calendar.
The Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid, the managing committee of the mosque affairs, said government officials informed them that the night prayers would not be allowed at the Grand Mosque.
“AAJ (Auqaf Anjuman Jamia Masjid) has informed that following Asr prayers, authorities closed the gates of Jama Masjid while the police asked people to vacate the mosque premises,” the Mirwaiz Manzil said in a post on X. “The AAJ was informed that observance of the taraweeh (special Ramzan evening prayers) or Shab Khani (night prayers and worship) on the auspicious occasion of ShabQadr will not be permitted.”
On Friday, the J&K administration barred worshippers from offering the Jumat-ul-Vida prayers at the mosque.
Meanwhile, Chairman All Parties Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was again placed under house arrest on Saturday. Earlier on Friday, he had informed that he was under house arrest.
“for the fifth consecutive year, the state authorities have once again locked the gates of historic and central Jama masjid Srinagar and put me under house arrest,” Farooq said in a video shared by Mirwaiz Manzil on Friday.
former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti condemned the action.
“How unfortunate that on the auspicious occasion of Shab-e Qadr Jama Masjid has been locked up to prevent people from offering prayers and Mirwaiz put under house arrest yet again. Land, resources, religion — what all will you deprive Kashmiris of?”: Mufti posted on X.
The records compiled by the Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid reveal that the grand mosque was shut down for worshippers for over 110 Fridays since 2019, the year the Indian government abrogated special rights of Jammu and Kashmir. After the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A on August 5, 2019, the authorities closed the mosque for all forms of worship for 136 days.
