Srinagar, April 5 -- Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, the head priest of Kashmir, was reportedly placed under house arrest and was thus unable to deliver the Jumat-ul-Vida Sermon at the revered mosque.

It's worth mentioning that the historic Jamia Masjid hosts largest congregational prayers on Jumat-ul-Vida. Due to mosque closure people headed to Dargah Hazratbal, eyewitnesses said.

The grand mosque was to host a Friday sermon by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq against the rising drug abuse in Kashmir. But he was upset at what he saw as 'unjustified' restrictions over his freedom of movement and speech on Jumat-ul-Vida.

A spokesman of Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid, in a statement, said that the authorities disallowed congregational Jumat-ul-Vida prayers at Jamia...