Mayor requests Sinha to allow Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid in Srinagar

Srinagar, Dec 25 (PTI) Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu has requested Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to allow Friday congregational prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid here which have remained suspended for 20 consecutive weeks.

In a letter to the Lt Governor, Mattu said the Jamia Masjid, besides being the city's main mosque, is a place of great reverence and historical importance for the people of Srinagar.

“While I do believe that the Masjid Administration and elders as with any place of worship should ensure peace and disallow any politicisation, I also firmly believe that it must be unacceptable to administratively normalise the locking-up of the Jamia Masjid as a preemptive measure in perpetuity,” he said.

The Srinagar Municipal Corporation Mayor said if Friday prayers at the Jamia Masjid were being disallowed due to COVID-19 concerns, “then it seems to be a very discriminatory and selective application of those guidelines”.

“I request you to kindly permit the conduct of Friday Congregational Prayers at the Jamia Masjid in deference to the faith and sentiments of the people of Srinagar,” the letter read. PTI SSB AQS AQS