Srinagar,June 7 : For the seventh consecutive year, no congregational Eid prayers were allowed at the historic Eidgah in Srinagar. The Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta also remained closed, and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the chief cleric of Kashmir, was placed under house detention.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq confirmed the development in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating that he was not allowed to leave his residence to deliver the Eid sermon or lead prayers. He wrote: “Eid Mubarak! Yet again, Kashmir wakes up to the sad reality: no Eid prayers at Eidgah, and Jama Masjid locked down — for the 7th straight year. I too have been detained at my home.”

The Mirwaiz expressed concern that restrictions on major congregational prayers continued in the region, especially on important religious occasions.

Officials have not yet issued a statement explaining the reason for the restrictions this year. In past years, authorities have cited security and law and order concerns as reasons for similar decisions.

The closure of major religious sites on Eid has become a regular occurrence since 2019. While Eid prayers were held in local mosques and other areas, large gatherings at central venues were not permitted.

There has been no public response from political representatives regarding the matter.