Mirwaiz Umer-led Hurriyat ridicules Mehbooba

Srinagar, Jan 1 (IANS) The Mirwaiz Umer Farooq-led separatist Hurriyat Conference on Tuesday ridiculed former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's expression of outrage over the desecration of Jamia Masjid here.

Mehbooba Mufti had on Monday telephoned Mirwaiz Umer to express her condemnation at the attempted desecration of Jamia Masjid by some masked youths.

A spokesman for the Hurriyat said: "The phone call of Mehbooba Mufti condemning the Jamia incident which she is broadcasting in media for obvious reasons is quite ironical as it was during her tenure as Chief Minister that people were barred from offering prayers at the mosque most of the time."

The spokesman said the mosque was locked down for three months in 2016 and in 2017, for the first time, even Jumat-ul-Vida (Last Friday) congregation during Ramadan was not allowed. In 2018, 16 Friday prayers were barred at the mosque.

"During that period Mirwaiz was either put under house arrest or in jail as in 2016. If Mehbooba Mufti during her tenure as Chief Minister had the same feelings towards Jamia Masjid which she calls 'the landmark and most important religious and social institution of Kashmir', she should have shown the courage to stand up for the religious rights of Muslims of Valley instead of presiding over the bans and bars on Jamia Masjid. Then her 'outrage' would at least have been sincere," the spokesman added.