Srinagar: Hurriyat Chairman and Kashmir's chief cleric, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, was again barred from going to Jama Masjid here for the second consecutive week on Friday.
The authorities have placed him under "house detention," preventing him from addressing the Friday congregation at the historic mosque, according to the managing body, Anjuman Auqaf.
Mirwaiz Umar also shared videos and images of the security details who had taken guard in front of his residence in the Nigeen area of the city, restricting his movement.
Again disallowed from going to Jama Masjid on a Friday for the second consecutive week . As I raise people’s issues and concerns from the pulpit as is my duty, it seems to make the authorities jittery and uncomfortable , so lock him up! As if by locking me up issues will… pic.twitter.com/38glbFgO8F
— Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (@MirwaizKashmir) December 13, 2024
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), he said that he was not allowed to leave for the mosque where he was expected to deliver his weekly sermon. "Again disallowed from going to Jama Masjid on a Friday for the second consecutive week. As I raise people’s issues and concerns from the pulpit as is my duty (sic)," he wrote.
"It seems to make the authorities jittery and uncomfortable , so lock him up! As if by locking me up issues will disappear and realty altered. But an authoritarian mindset can’t think beyond... strongly condemn my house arrest and the imprisonment of thousands of Kashmiri prisoners who are victims of this mindset (sic)," he adds.
Following the government move to keep Mirwaiz under house arrest, Anjuman Auqaf condemned the move and expressed outrage at the restrictions imposed on him.
“This continued barring of the revered leader from performing his religious commitments is deeply disturbing and unacceptable,” it said in a statement.
