Kashmir's Mirwaiz Umar Farooq placed under house arrest again
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Kashmir's top cleric and Hurriyat Conference chairman, says he's been put under house arrest for the third Friday in a row.
He shared on X (formerly Twitter) that being barred from leading prayers at Srinagar's Jama Masjid is an "assault on basic rights," and called out officials for acting without accountability.
Police cordon off Mirwaiz's neighborhood
Police blocked off Mirwaiz's neighborhood with barbed wire, stopping him from leading Friday prayers or holding meetings of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema.
These meetings were supposed to address recent Supreme Court moves on the Waqf Act and other social issues affecting Kashmir.
Mirwaiz slams authorities
Mirwaiz has openly questioned the legality of these repeated restrictions and criticized the lack of checks on those enforcing them.
He says this pattern shows "contempt for human rights and people's sentiments," raising concerns about arbitrary actions by local authorities.