Huriyat Hits Out At Mehbooba, Says Jamia Locked For Three Months In Her Rule In 2016

Srinagar: Hurriyat (M) on Tuesday hit out at former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, saying that her “outrage” at Jamia Masjid pulpit desecration was “ironical” as Friday prayers were barred at the historic mosque most of the time during her rule.

In a statement, a Hurriyat (M) spokesman said: “The phone call of Ms Mehbooba Mufti to its chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq condemning the Jamia incident which she is broadcasting in media for obvious reasons, is quite ironical as it was during her tenure as CM that the people were barred from offering prayers at the mosque most of the time.”

He said that the mosque was locked down for three months in 2016 and in 2017 for the first time even Jumat ul Vida congregation during Ramadan was not allowed and in 2018 for 16 Friday prayers were barred at the mosque.

“On all these days, Mirwaiz was either put under house arrest or in jail as in 2016,” said the spokesman, adding: “If Ms Mufti during her tenure as CM had the same feelings towards Jamia Masjid which she calls ‘the landmark and most important religious and social institution of Kashmir’ at whose desecration she is ‘outraged’ today, and had showed the courage to stand up for the religious rights of the Muslims of valley instead of presiding over the bans and bars on Jamia Masjid then her “outrage “would at least have been sincere.”

Mehbooba had on Monday called Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and expressed outrage at the attempted desecration of the mosque by some masked youth on Friday.