Srinagar: Mobs indulged in stone-pelting near the historic Jamia Masjid here as also in parts of Sopore and Kupwara on Friday, on a day Kashmir was celebrating Juma’at- ul-Vida, the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadhan.
Barring these incidents, the festival was celebrated with religious fervour, with lakhs of devotees including men, women and children thronging mosques, shrines and Khankahs across the Kashmir Valley to offer congregational prayers braving scorching summer heat.
Shortly after Friday prayers, mobs of youth resorted to stone-pelting near the Jamia Masjid and adjoining areas of Srinagar , leading to clashes with law enforcing agencies, officials said.
Police fired teargas shells and used batons to disperse the stone-pelting protesters to restore the law and order, they said.
The clashes near Jamia Masjid and adjoining areas were continuing when last reports were received, they said.
Similar incidents were reported from main Chowk in Sopore in Baramulla District as well as in Kupwara town but there was no immediate report of any causality, the officials said. Earlier, Jamia Masjid witnessed the highest gathering where over 50,000 devotees offered the prayers, the officials said.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who is also Chairman of separatist Hurriyat Conference, addressed the gathering before the prayers.
The second highest gathering in the city was recorded at the holy shrine of Hazratbal on the banks of Dal Lake where over 25,000 people including women and children offered prayers and had a glimpse of the holy relic of the last prophet of Islam (PBUH) enshrined there.
All the mosques, shrines and Khankahs across the Valley were jam packed and forced the management of these religious places to temporarily arrange mats on the roads to cope with the heavy rush of devotees.
People were seen offering prayers in open under the scorching sun. The Kashmir Valley is going through hot summer days over the past one week with the maximum temperature in Srinagar settling at season’s high of 34.4 degrees Celsius – three degrees above normal during this part of the season. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti offered prayers at Hazratbal Shrine in Srinagar, an official spokesman said.
Minister for Education Naeem Akhtar, Vice-Chairman Wakf Board Peer Mohammad Hussain and Legislator Anjum Fazili also joined the congregational prayers at the Hazratbal Shrine.