India, Feb. 14 -- The Jammu and Kashmir Police restricted congregational prayers at Srinagar's historic Jamia Masjid on the night of Shab-e-Baraat, one of the holiest nights in the Islamic calendar.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Kashmir's chief cleric, who was scheduled to deliver the sermon, was placed under house arrest. People gathered at the mosque in Srinagar's Nowhatta, also known as Downtown, were asked to leave, and the mosque management was informed that there would be no night prayers.

The decision faced sharp criticism from political leaders, with chief minister Omar Abdullah calling it "unfortunate" and raising concerns about the lack of confidence in the region's law and order system.

"It is very unfortunate that the security estab...