Mirwaiz Umar Farooq put under house arrest again
Srinagar, February 16
Kashmir’s chief cleric and Hurriyat moderate chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was placed under house arrest and not allowed to offer prayer at Jamia Mosque Srinagar, the mosque management Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid said here today. The Anjuman called the frequent “house arrest” of the Mirwaiz and the government’s move to “stop” him from performing prayers as interference in religious affairs.
“The administration is deliberately and without assigning any reason preventing Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir from performing his official and religious duties. Such actions are hurting the religious sentiments and emotions of the Muslims,” Anjuman said.
The mosque management, however, expressed hope that the administration would immediately shun the “undemocratic policy of disallowing Farooq from performing his duties on Fridays and free him from the shackles of house arrest so that he fulfils his official and religious duties.”
Last month, Mirwaiz was allowed to travel to New Delhi, for the first time since he was placed under house arrest in August 2019 when Article 370 was abrogated and J&K was downgraded into two Union Territories, J&K and Ladakh. The Mirwaiz had termed his visit to Delhi along with his mother and other family members as “purely private and personal”. However, after his return, he was not allowed to lead prayers at the Jamia Mosque.
In September last year, Mirwaiz was released from a prolonged house arrest in September. Initially, he was allowed to address people at Jamia Masjid. He had said in the current situation, there is no space for the expression of their opinions and concerns.
