Ahead of Jumat-ul-Vida (last Friday of Ramadan), the local authorities have placed Kashmir’s chief cleric, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, under house arrest and closed the historic Jamia Masjid.

The management body of Srinagar’s historic Jama Masjid said authorities have disallowed Jumat-ul-Vida prayers for the fifth consecutive year at the mosque.

They also added that Mirwaiz has been put under house arrest.

There was no immediate reaction from the authorities on disallowing the Friday prayers at Jamia.

Anjuman Auqaf announced on Thursday that Mirwaiz will deliver a special sermon at the mosque on the occasion of Jumat-ul-Vida.

Former Mayor of Srinagar, Junaid Mattu, condemned the disallowance of Jumat-ul-Vida at Jamia.

“Strongly condemn the disallowance of Jummat-ul-Vida Nimaaz at Jamia Masjid Srinagar today. A preemptive, generalised law and order practice in perpetuity at the cost of religious matters is a matter of anguish,” Mattu said in a post on X.

(With UNI Inputs)