Srinagar, Jan 5 (Reporter) Kashmir’s chief priest and Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was on Friday not allowed to offer congregational prayers at the Jamia mosque in the old city, the managing body of the grand mosque said. The congregational Friday prayers were, however, held at the Jamia grand mosque. “It is unjustified that the Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Dr Moulvi Muhammad Umar Farooq has been disallowed to offer Friday prayers for consecutive 13 weeks. He is not allowed to offer and lead important religious duties as Friday prayer ,” the Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid Srinagar said in a statement. The Anjuman said the administration is also not providing any genuine reason for such restrictions on Mirwaiz, due to which the Minbar-o-Mihraab (pulpit) of the historic central grand mosque remain silent,” the statement said. The Anjuman said such undue curbs on the movement and activities of Mirwaiz are tantamount to interference in religious affairs and hurt the emotions and sentiments of the people of the valley, especially the devotees who throng the Jama Masjid Srinagar on Fridays to listen to the sermon of their beloved leader. “Such behaviour of the government is not only sad in every sense but also smacks of its vindictive policy,” the statement said. Last week, Mirwaiz had urged the J&K Lieutenant Governor’s administration to “relook the policy” of detention and restore his religious rights by granting access to the mosque on Fridays. Mirwaiz after his release on September 22 following four years of house detention since August 2019, was only permitted to go to the Jamia Masjid for three Fridays...////...