Friday prayers not allowed at Srinagar's Jamia Masjid
Srinagar (PTI): Authorities proscribed congregational prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid here on Friday amid fear of protests against the Israeli action in Gaza, officials said.
This was the second consecutive Friday when prayers were disallowed at the historic mosque.
The grand mosque, located in the Nowhatta area of the city, remained locked and security personnel were deployed around the mosque to maintain law and order, they said.
The Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid -- the managing body of the mosque -- in a statement said that for the second consecutive Friday, police closed the gates of the mosque saying it will not be opened for Friday prayers.
The Auqaf said Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was "once again stopped for the second consecutive Friday from going to the mosque."
"Since October 15, he continues to be under house detention and is not allowed to move out. Mirwaz deeply regretted the repeated targeting of Jamia Masjid Srinagar by closing it to Muslims on Fridays and disallowing them from offering obligatory Friday prayers," the auqaf said.
Mirwaiz has said such measures belie the claim of normalcy that the authorities make.
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Ranji Trophy final: Paras Dogra headbutts Karnataka substitute during heated Day 2 in Hubballi
Huballi: Tempers flared on Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy final as Jammu and Kashmir captain Paras Dogra was involved in an ugly on-field incident with Karnataka substitute fielder KV Aneesh at the Hubballi Cricket Ground.
The confrontation took place in the 101st over of Jammu and Kashmir’s first innings. Dogra, who was batting with Kanhaiya Wadhawan during a key partnership, edged a delivery from Prasidh Krishna for a boundary. Soon after, he exchanged words with Aneesh, who was fielding at forward short leg.
What began as a verbal exchange quickly turned physical. In a sudden outburst, Dogra moved towards Aneesh and headbutted him while still wearing his helmet. The act left players and officials stunned, forcing the umpires to intervene immediately.
Senior Karnataka batter Mayank Agarwal stepped in and confronted Dogra, while the umpires worked to calm the situation. At the end of the over, Dogra apologised, but Aneesh appeared visibly upset and did not accept the apology on the field.
The tension did not stop there. Agarwal and KL Rahul were also seen engaging in sharp exchanges with the Jammu and Kashmir skipper. Moments later, another heated moment unfolded when Karnataka pacer Vijaykumar Vyshak and Wadhawan came face to face after accidental contact during a run. Teammates and officials again had to step in to prevent matters from escalating further.
Despite the dramatic scenes, Jammu and Kashmir continued to stay in control of the match. The team crossed the 350-run mark in the first innings, building on the strong start made on Day 1.
Earlier, Shubham Pundir had anchored the innings with a well-made 121. Yawer Hassan contributed 88 runs, while Abdul Samad added 61, putting Karnataka under sustained pressure in the final.
