J&K govt. move to disallow prayers at Jamia Masjid decried

It amounts to direct interference in people’s religious matters, says Gupkar alliance

The J&K Lieutenant Governor (L-G) administration has decided not to allow congregational prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar on the occasion of Shab–e–Qadr, night–long prayers, and Jumat–ul–Vida, last Friday of Ramadan, evoking sharp criticism from the regional parties and Hurriyat chairman and chief priest Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

According to a spokesman of the Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid, caretakers of the mosque located at Nowhatta in Srinagar, the government and police officials, headed by a magistrate, visited the Jamia Masjid premises on Wednesday and “conveyed that the authorities have decided not to allow Shab–e–Qadr and Jumat–ul–Vida prayers”.

The Peoples Alliance for the Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), an amalgam of regional parties, denounced the L-G administration’s move.

“The move is unacceptable and reprehensible. It will bar thousands of people from offering the congregational prayers inside the historic mosque. It amounts to direct interference in the people’s religious matters,” PAGD spokesman and CPI(M) leader M.Y. Tarigami said.

The PAGD, which has the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as its members, has also urged the administration “to reconsider its decision”.

National Conference (NC) vice–president Omar Abdullah said the government’s decision belied the claims of normalcy.

“If the government claims the situation is normal, then why the prayers have been disallowed at the historic Jamia Masjid?” Mr. Abdullah said.