Muslims wear black armbands to Friday prayers, condemn Pahalgam attack; Owaisi blasts terrorists, Pakistan

Muslims across India wore black armbands during the prayers on Friday (April 25), the first since the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, and staged protests against the killing of 26 unarmed civilians by terrorists of Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot TRF.

In a show of dissent, Muslims wore black armbands during Jumma congregational prayers in several cities, including Delhi, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Bhopal, and Surat.

In Hyderabad, Muslims marched through the streets after the Friday prayers, chanting slogans “Pakistan Murdabad” and “Hindustan Zindabad.”

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In their Friday sermons, mosque imams also denounced the killings and criticised Pakistan for its continued support to cross-border terrorism.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi had, in a post on X, urged Muslims to wear black bands as a symbolic gesture condemning the Pahalgam attack.

At the Jama Masjid in Delhi, Shahi Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari condemned the killings of innocent civilians and criticised Pakistan for harbouring terrorists.

Owaisi also welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement promising unprecedented retribution against the attackers and their masterminds.

Owaisi hurls expletives at terrorists and Pakistan; video goes viral

Meanwhile, videos of Owaisi throwing expletives at the terrorists and Pakistan, on Thursday, have gone viral on social media, where several users hailed him for his stance.

Owaisi, who is often the target of saffron party supporters, has been garnering their praise for his comments.

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Netizens said that he spoke what most “secular leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav failed to accept".

The AIMIM chief used the choicest expletives for the terrorists who asked tourists their religion before killing them in Kashmir valley. Owaisi also held Pakistan responsible for the attack.

“In ka***no, ha***zaado ne jo harkat ki, wahan par naam poochh kar goli maare, samudaaya pooch kar marei, iski accountability toh honi chaiye. Aur yakeenan ye dehshatgard humare padosi mulk Pakistan se aaye, Pakistan ke ISI, Pakistan ka establishment, unka poora support inko haasil hai. (The terrorists, what they did, asking people their names and then killing them, there must be accountability. They came from Pakistan and are backed by Pakistan’s ISI and establishment),” the MP said.

Many social media users said that Owaisi was “far better” than other opposition leaders like Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in condemning the attack.