Srinagar, June 8: Senior separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has been placed under house arrest, according to a statement from Anjuman-e-Auqaf Jamia Masjid Srinagar. The arrest occurred on Friday, preventing Farooq from delivering the traditional Friday sermon and prayers at the Jamia Masjid in the Nowhatta area of Srinagar.
The Anjuman-e-Auqaf Jamia Masjid, which manages the mosque’s affairs, reported that authorities placed Farooq under house arrest at his residence in the Nigeen area on the city outskirts. The authorities informed the mosque’s management on Friday that Farooq would not be allowed to attend the prayers due to his house arrest.
The arrest appears to be linked to a blasphemous social media post by a student from the Government Medical College in Srinagar, which had offended local Muslim sentiments. In response, the college authorities have suspended the student, and the police have registered an FIR against him for posting content deemed sensitive and offensive to a particular community.
This development has drawn significant attention and concern over the implications for religious freedoms and community relations in the region.
