Jumma prayers on last Friday of Ramzan held peacefully across country

New Delhi: The last Friday prayers of the Islamic holy month of Ramzan were conducted peacefully across the country, while the AIMPLB claimed that several Muslims, including MPs and MLAs, offered Jumma prayers at mosques wearing black armbands to protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.

In Jammu and Kashmir, Hurriyat Conference leader and Kashmir's chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said congregational prayers were not allowed at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar on Friday and he was placed under house detention.

Eid-ul-Fitr marks the conclusion of the month-long fast from dawn to dusk and is likely to be celebrated in the country on March 31 or April 1.

In Uttar Pradesh, Alvida Jumma Namaz, the final Friday prayer of Ramzan, was offered peacefully in mosques with heightened security arrangements in place, government officials said.

Security measures were intensified across the state in anticipation of the Friday namaz, with additional police forces deployed in the sensitive areas of every district.

Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar closely monitored the security arrangements from the state police headquarters' control room in Lucknow. The DGP noted that the prayers were conducted peacefully across the state.

Senior officials, including the Additional Director General (ADG) of Law and Order Amitabh Yash was also present in the control room.

In Sambhal, which has been tense since the violence on November 24 last year, the farewell prayers were also offered peacefully while in Meerut, where the authorities had cautioned people against offering namaz on roads, no untoward incident was reported.

Prayers were offered across Ayodhya amid tight security, with police teams ensuring vigilance. Inspector General (IG) of Ayodhya, Pravin Kumar, said the prayers were conducted peacefully in all districts of the Ayodhya division.

In Amethi, Friday prayers were held peacefully in 367 mosques across the district amidst tight security. Superintendent of Police (SP) Aparna Rajat Kaushik said sensitive areas were monitored via CCTV and additional police forces were stationed at key locations, including the Jama Masjid in Amethi, Jagdishpur and Jais.

In Mirzapur, the Alvida Jumma Namaz was observed peacefully as well. Additional SP Nitesh Kumar said no untoward incident was reported from the district.

He said the mosque at Imambara, one of the largest in the district, saw the usual number of worshippers. Namaz at the mosque began at 12.30 pm. The officer added that tight security measures were in place around the mosque.

In a post on X, Hurriyat Conference leader Farooq claimed lakhs of people were waiting to offer congregational prayers on the last Friday of Ramzan but the Jamia Masjid was closed by authorities.

The grand mosque in the city's Nowhatta locality was closed for prayers on the auspicious occasion of Shab-e-Qadr on Thursday night as well.

"Jamia Masjid continues to remain closed to people and I under house detention even today on Juma-Tul-Vida, when lakhs of people eagerly await the whole year to offer congregational prayers on this blessed Friday for great reward and blessing from Allah," Mirwaiz said in a post on microblogging site X.

Mirwaiz said he wanted to ask the authorities why this most important centre of Kashmir's religious identity was "repeatedly targeted and people's fundamental right to religious practice curbed when tall claims of normalcy are trumpeted every day?"

Meanwhile, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) claimed that crores of Muslims tied black bands on their arms to register their peaceful protest against the Waqf Amendment Bill.

The AIMPLB had earlier urged Muslims to wear a black armband when they go for Jumma prayers on the last Friday of Ramzan as a mark of their protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.

AIMPLB president Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, general secretary Maulana Fazlurraheem Mujaddidi, vice president Syed Sadatullah Hussaini, and secretary Maulana Umrain Mahfooz Rahmani, among others, wore black armbands.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, IUML MP Kani Navas, Congress MP Imran Masood, and Karnataka Assembly MLA Rizwan Arshad, were among the lawmakers, who sported the armband while praying Jumma in the mosques they offered prayers at.

"We demand the government to immediately withdraw this unconstitutional Waqf Amendment Bill!" the AIMPLB said.

A large number of Muslims in Patna and other cities also wore black armbands during Jumma prayers on the last Friday of Ramzan in protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.

Several Muslims posted pictures of themselves wearing the armband on social media as directed by the AIMPLB with the hashtag 'India Against Waqf Bill'.

In Bihar's Patna, black armbands were distributed outside Jama Masjid near the Patna railway station and Dariyapur mosque before the prayers, following an appeal by the AIMPLB.

Talking to PTI, the Imam of Dariyapur mosque, Muhammad Alam Quasmi, confirmed that the protest was in response to AIMPLB’s appeal.

In a related development, posters were put up outside the official residence of RJD leader and former chief minister of Bihar Rabri Devi, criticising the BJP’s distribution of ‘Saugat-e-Modi’ kits to Muslims on Eid.

As part of its nationwide outreach drive, the BJP has been distributing the ‘Saugat-e-Modi’ kits to the Muslim community.