Congregational Friday prayers were allowed at Jamia Masjid after three weeks with Hurriyat Conference(M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq slamming the authorities for “usurping the political and religious rights of people.”

“On one hand, people are being harassed in the name of cordon and search operations across Kashmir while innocents like Misra Begum and Ruby Jan are shot dead by forces in cold blood. Jammu and Kashmir has literally become a police state,” Mirwaiz said addressing the congregation at the historic mosque in old Srinagar city.

He also condemned the “dictatorial”  social media gag order issued by the government for its employees.

Mirwaiz said the “rulers” were unable to even live up to their “election-time promises” of “sadak, bijli and pani.”