The managing committee of the Jamia Masjid here on Wednesday released a video showing a deserted mosque during Shab-eBarat to contest police claims that the authorities did not bar night prayers at the mosque by locking up its gates.

Jamia Masjid, the biggest mosque in the region, traditionally attracts thousands of devotees for prayers during Shab-e-Barat and other major Muslim festivals but it has faced repeated closure during these events since the scrapping of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.

The purported closure has triggered a war of words between the police and the mosque’s managing body.

Anjuman Auqaf, the body that oversees the management of the mosque, on Tuesday said police and administrative officials visited Jamia Masjid at 5.30pm to lock up its gates, triggering condemnation by politicians and residents.

Anjuman said it was informed that the closure was ordered by the deputy commissioner of Srinagar. The body called it “highhandedness of the authorities” and “blatant interference and violation of our religious rights”.

Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said it was “brazen violation of fundamental rights & religious freedom guaranteed by the Indian Constitution”.

Hours later, the police reacted to Mufti’s tweet and dismissed the reports as “rumours”.

“It is clarified that Administration & Police has nothing to do with night prayers on occasion of Shabe-Barat Prayers not taking place in Jamia Masjid today. Neither any orders for disallowing were given nor was it executed by Administration/ Police. Kindly don’t spread rumours,” Srinagar Police tweeted.