Over, 10,000 people peacefully offered prayers in mosques across Jammu and Kashmir on the occasion of Eid al-Adha on Monday.
Amid massive security arrangements and restrictions, prayers concluded peacefully in all parts of Jammu and Kashmir, as it marked its first Eid after the revocation of its special status amid massive security arrangements.
The prayers began at 7 a.m. and continued till noon in some places. The movement of people was facilitated by the police. People offered namaz and were also seen greeting police personnel on duty.
Prohibitory orders are still in force in Srinagar with large groups of people not being allowed to assemble and traffic restrictions put in place.
Eid prayers were held in smaller mosques in neighbourhoods after large congregations were restricted in sensitive areas in Srinagar.
There were large congregations in mosques in Bandipora, Baramulla, Kupwara, Trehgam, Sopore, Kulgam, Shopian, Pulwama, Awantipora, Anantnag, Ganderbal and Budgam. In Jammu, over 5,000 people prayed at the Eidgah, while in Baramulla around 10,000 people offered namaz at the Jamia Masjid.
Sharing photographs of people distributing sweets after offering namaz, Union Home Ministry spokesperson Vasudha Gupta tweeted: “Eid prayers offered peacefully in all local mosques of Anantnag, Baramulla, Budgam, Bandipore, without any untoward incident.”
“Eid prayers offered peacefully in all local mosques of Anantnag, Baramulla, Budgam, Bandipore, without any untoward incident. Jamia Masjid old town Baramulla witnessed approx 10,000 people offering prayers,” she said.
Gupta further said that people came out in good numbers to pray on Eid in the newly created Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. “Prayers concluded at prominent mosques in Srinagar and Shopian. Over 4,500 offer prayers at Eidgah Jammu.”
Prayers being offered on the occasion of #EidAlAdha2019 in #JammuAndKashmir. Sharing sweets and bringing smiles on everyone’s faces @JmuKmrPolice @PIBSrinagar @diprjk @airnewsalerts @DDNewsLive pic.twitter.com/OkubyF4fKt
— Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) August 12, 2019
Meanwhile, NSA Ajit Doval today did a recce of entire Srinagar including downtown, Soura, Pampore, Lal chowk, Hazratbal and also of Pampore, Budgam, South Kashmir districts of Pulwama and Awantipora.
On Sunday, a meeting was held between clerics and the Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Baseer Khan, Inspector General of Police (Kashmir) Swayam Prakash Pani and Srinagar District Magistrate Shahid Choudhary to ensure a peaceful and smooth Eid.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration had eased the prohibitory orders in Kashmir Valley for the past few days for the people to make purchases for Eid.
Over 250 ATMs were made functional in Srinagar and bank branches are also open.
In the valley, people thronged the market places during the six hours of relaxation provided for purchases before Eid-al-Adha also known as Bakr Eid.
In his speech to the nation on August 9 post the revocation of Article 370, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured that the people of the state would not face any trouble in celebrating Eid and that the situation in the valley will return to normal gradually.
Jammu and Kashmir has been under lockdown since the government on August 5 abrogated Article 370 and has divided the state into two union territories.
The decision of the Modi government was celebrated in Jammu and Ladakh but it had created tensions in the Kashmir valley.
Meanwhile, schools reopened in Jammu on Saturday as restrictions under the Section 144 were on Friday lifted from the district where no untoward incident has been reported.