Former Member of Legislative Assembly Jammu Kashmir and one of the most outspoken politicians in the aftermath of Abrogation of Article 370 on August 05, 2019, Aga Ruhullah Mehdi has raised serious questions over the lifting of the ban over annual Muharram processions after a gap of thirty years.
Taking to Twitter, the National Conference leader said that the isolated decision which comes at a time when all religious gatherings across the Kashmir valley have been barred raises more questions than it answers.
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In a thread on his Twitter handle, Ruhullah Mehdi wrote, ” There is list of decisions-taken in circulation, in which, if my reading of this order is correct, the administration has decided to allow the 10th Moharram procession from Abiguzar to Lal Chowk (a temporary & alternate route proposed in 2018) after a gap of 30 years.”
There is list of decisions-taken in circulation, in which, if my reading of this order is correct, the administration has decided to allow the 10th Moharram procession from Abiguzar to Lal Chowk (a temporary & alternate route proposed in 2018) after a gap of 30 years. 1/7
— Ruhullah Mehdi (@RuhullahMehdi) August 1, 2021
Raising serious doubts over the intentions of the order, he further wrote, “This decision has come at the time when the Administration has called off Amarnath yatra. Eid prayers this year were not allowed at Jama Masjid & other important places imposing the Disaster Management Act. Only a few days ago the IGP Kmr told people to celebrate Eid “at their homes” invoking Covid protocols. The Friday prayers at Jama Masjid have not been allowed for the last more than 100 Fridays & continue to be banned, again invoking Covid 19 protocols. The list goes on.”
“Given the fact that all other major religious gatherings(with no exception to any particular religion) continue to be banned. This sudden isolated decision about the 10th Moharram procession from Abiguzar to Lal Chowk, after a gap of 30 years, raises more questions than it answers,” he said.
Asking the administration to lift the curbs on religious gatherings across the Kashmir valley, he said, “To answer those questions and to make it clear that there are no nefarious designs behind this decision, this 10th Moharram procession should be preceded by Friday prayers at Jama Masjid before this 10th Moharram. Friday prayers before this year’s 10th Moharram should precede. If the Friday prayers and other major religious functions (across all religions) continue to be banned and this particular procession is suddenly encouraged in isolation. In that case, I see nefarious designs behind it.”
Once again asking the people to stay cautious, he appealed, “The people should not fall for this bait and into this trap.”
“Therefore the responsibility lies with the administration to come clean. Now that the time for Eid prayer this year has passed. Lift the ban on Friday prayers at Jama Masjid too, like you suddenly took this decision and prove that there are no nefarious designs,” Ruhulla Mehdi tweeted.
In April, Ruhullah in arguably one of the most liked and widely shared speeches from a Kashmiri Politician post abrogation situation after 5th August 2019 in Jammu Kashmir bashing the BJP Government said that the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister of Home Affairs, President of Bhartiya Janta Party, Amit Shah have snatched the rights and identity of people of Jammu Kashmir by abrogating the special status of Jammu Kashmir.