Mirwaiz Umar Farooq placed under house arrest in lead-up to J&K assembly polls

Srinagar : Separatist and Jamia Masjid chief priest Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was on Friday in the lead-up to assembly polls placed under house arrest and not allowed to deliver his sermon on Friday, the leader said.

Castigating his house detention, Mirwaiz expressed apprehensions that he may be detained till the end of the elections, which will be held in three phases on September 18, 25 and October 1.

The managing body of Jamia Masjid, Anjuman Auqaf, said Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was informed by authorities that he has been detained at home and will not be allowed to go to the mosque to deliver the Friday sermon and offer prayers.

“It’s another Friday that I was barred from going to Jama Masjid to offer the sermon and obligatory Friday prayers. It’s been a routine since I was released from house detention last September after going to courts,” Mirwaiz, who was placed under house detention in 2019 after the abrogation of Article 370 and allowed to deliver sermons at the grand mosque only from September 2023, said in a statement.

“It’s very disconcerting and authoritarian that my freedom and liberty is at their command. As a religious and social figure my activities are brought to a grinding halt causing distress to me and those associated with these activities…Rumour has it that I will be detained till the end of UT elections for now,” he said of the lack of reasoning for his detention.

Calls to Srinagar deputy commissioner (DC) Bilal Mohiuddin Bhat and senior superintendent of police (SSP) Imtiyaz Hussain for a response remained unanswered.

While authorities are yet to offer any reasoning, Mirwaiz’s house arrest comes after a clip of his undated sermon went viral on social media. He can be purportedly heard castigating the people “in our own ranks who are ready to support tyrants and become willing tools against our own community for petty personal interests”.

The clip was widely circulated after former Jamaat-e-Islami members or separatist leaders filed nominations to fight elections or joined mainstream political parties ahead of the polls. Separatists and Jamaat have boycotted parliamentary and assembly elections in the past and often ran campaigns against it.

“I have been informed that in view of the UT elections people, especially youth are being asked to come to their local police stations for surety bonds. This is harassment,” Mirwaiz said.

He said arrests won’t “ensure peace and normalcy”, adding that restrictions and detentions will also not deter him from “pursuing what I believe in as they haven’t weakened you in your resolve.” — (HT)