Mehbooba calls Mirwaiz, condemns desecration of Jamia Masjid that she shut for 18 weeks in 2016

Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday called Hurriyat Conference (M) chairperson Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and condemned the desecration of Jamia Masjid Srinagar.

Mehbooba, the former ally of Bharatiya Janata Party, tweeted: Appearance of a few youth with IS flag in Jama Masjid Srinagar is desecration of the most important institution of Kashmir’s religious, social life. Called MirwaizKashmir, Umar sahheb to convey my outrage. (SIC).”

She said that Jamia is the the most important landmark of “our religious and cultural moorings”.

“Jama Masjid & it’s pulpit are most imp landmarks of our religious, cultural moorings. Can’t allow barbaric forces to defile it in the name of Islam,” she said in another tweet.

Pertinently, during Mehbooba’s rule in 2016, when Kashmir erupted post Burhan Wani’s killing, Jamia Masjid Srinagar remained shut for 18 consecutive Friday’s.

More than a hundred youth were killed and thousands others were injured mostly with pellet guns. The injuries caused by pellet guns was termed as the “first mass blinding of Kashmir” by UK based The Guardian.