Srinagar: Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said today, May 26, that he was put under house arrest by the authorities allegedly to prevent him from visiting the family of a 12-year-old girl who was raped and murdered in Budgam district last week.In a post on X, Mirwaiz said that he was denied permission by the administration to “offer condolences and share in the grief of the bereaved family” in Galwanpora village of Budgam.The body of the girl child was recovered by the family and police on May 23, barely 200 metres from her residence, following an overnight search operation. A local youth identified as Mudasir Ahmad Mir was arrested in connection with the case within 36 hours.“It is strange that even a basic humanitarian gesture of expressing sympathy and condolence with the bereaved threatens the rulers and their narrative of ‘peace and normalcy’,” Mirwaiz said on X.The former chief of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference said that all his visits are “subject to permission by authorities, who are to be informed a day earlier”.The house-arrest of Mirwaiz has triggered outcry with the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti terming it as an unjustified and “mindless action”.“All of Kashmir is grieving over this tragedy. Repeatedly not allowing him to offer namaz at Jama Masjid & now depriving him of the simple humane act of expressing solidarity is awfully cruel,” Mufti said on X.Some PDP leaders including Budgam legislator Muntazir Mehdi and Mufti’s daughter Iltija Mufti also condemned the authorities for disallowing Mirwaiz from visiting the bereaved family.The murder and suspected rape of the 12-year-old girl has sent shockwaves across Kashmir with the victim’s family, all the political parties as well as the commoners demanding swift action against the culprits involved in the heinous crime.Chief minister Omar Abdullah visited the bereaved family along with other political leaders on Monday. According to the CM’s office, Abdullah expressed profound grief over the incident and prayed for strength and patience for the family during the difficult time.Meanwhile, Mirwaiz visited the Eidgah ground in Srinagar on Monday to review the arrangements for the Eid prayers which are scheduled to be held at 9:30 am on Wednesday.Even though the authorities have disallowed Mirwaiz from leading the Eid prayers at the historic ground or at Jamia Masjid in Srinagar’s downtown in the past, a meeting of the managing body of Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid was held on Monday to review the arrangements for the prayers.