Local mosques remained closed, people join Eidgah congregation

Srinagar, Aug 22 (UNI) Most of the local mosques in the city and its outskirts remained closed as people joined the Eidgah Friday congregation on an appeal by the Coordination Committee (CC), spearheading the present agitation, demanding opening of the Jehlum valley and other roads with '' Azad Kashmir'' for trade.

Almost all the mosques, including the Gaw Kadal mosque, where thousands offered prayers every Friday, in the civil lines and other areas in the city remained closed.

However, Friday prayers were held in some mosques in the civil lines but the number of devotees was very less.

Priests in these mosques condemned the CRPF and police action on ''peaceful processionists'' in the valley.

They alleged that security forces remained mute spectators in Jammu, where Muslims and Kashmir drivers were being targetted.

After the prayers, the devotees also left for Eidgah.

Similar situation was witnessed in other mosques in the outskirts.

Besides CC, an alliance of both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference (HC) and other separatists, traders, other organisations and some religious leaders appealed to people to join the Eidgah congregation.

This is for the first time in the history of Kashmir that lakhs of people joined the Friday congregation at Eidgah, where only Eid prayers were being held in the past.

UNI BAS LPB KP1530