‘Friday prayers disallowed at Srinagar Jamia Masjid’

Police personnel forced us to close all the gates, say caretakers

The Anjuman Auqaf, a caretaker body of historic Jama Masjid, on Friday said the police locked up the mosque and dissuaded worshippers from offering the congregational noon prayers, days after the J&K administration allowed a major congregational prayer at the Khawaja Naqshband shrine in the city.

“The authorities did not allow congregational Friday prayers at the Jama Masjid, as heavy deployment of forces was carried out since morning. When the Auqaf employees opened up the gates of the mosque, the police personnel forced them to close all the gates and no ‘namazis’ were allowed inside,” a spokesman of the body said.

A number of worshippers, including women and children, had gathered outside the mosque after the Auqaf announced they would re-open it like other smaller mosques in the Valley.