Disallowing Juma'tul Vida prayers at Jamia Masjid in Srinagar 'reprehensible', say J&K politicians

The locked main gate of the Jamia Masjid compound. PTI file photo

The Jammu and Kashmir politicians on Friday said that the administration's measure to disallow congregational "Juma'tul Vida" prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar is "reprehensible". "Juma'tul Vida" prayers are offered to mark the last Friday of Ramazan every year.

The managing body of the grand mosque, Anjuman Auqaf, earlier, in a statement said that the district magistrate and police officials visited the mosque on Friday morning and asked the management to lock the gates as "the administration had decided that 'Jumma-tul-Vida' prayers will not be allowed at the mosque".

"Anjuman strongly resents this move of the authorities causing great distress to lakhs of Muslims who traditionally come from all parts of the Valley to offer prayers on the last and greatly blessed Friday of Ramazan in Jamia Masjid where offering prayers on last the Friday has great significance," the statement said.

Pertinently, Jamia Masjid, located in downtown Srinagar, would mark one of the biggest congregations on the eve of Jumma-tul-Vida every year. However since August 2019, when the government of India abrogated the State's special status and downgraded it into two federally administered territories, authorities have mostly disallowed the congregational prayers at the mosque. Last month, the authorities also disallowed the 'Shab-e-Barat' congregational prayers at the mosque.

Meanwhile, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah while reacting to the closure of the mosque on Friday said the administration is betraying its own claims by locking up the mosque.

Abdullah tweeted: "We are constantly treated to claims of normalcy in J&K and yet the administration betrays its own claims when it resorts to locking up one of our holiest mosques thus denying people the chance to offer prayers on the last Friday of Ramzan (SIC)."

Also read: 1944 Bombay explosion: St Xavier's High School in Fort houses pieces of propellers from the explosion

The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference spokesperson, Imran Nabi Dar, said that the administration act was "reprehensible".

"Reprehensible. This is BJPs Naya Kashmir where Muslims are being barred to offer Friday congregational prayers on one of the Holiest days in Islam, The Juma't ul Vida. J&K govt needs to come clear as to why this measure was taken when there have been no untoward incidents." (With inputs from PTI)