Srinagar, July 8 -- SRINAGAR- Senior socio-religious figure Maulana Masroor Abbas Ansari has declined an invitation to attend a meeting convened by Majlis-e-Ulama-e-Imamia, accusing the organisation of selective silence, moral inconsistency and failure to uphold its religious and social responsibilities.

In a strongly worded open letter addressed to the forum's president, Masroor Ansari said he could not participate in deliberations on what the forum described as "disturbing trends" in mourning (Azadari) practices across various Indian cities while, according to him, the forum had consistently remained silent on issues of greater concern within Kashmir itself.

The letter constitutes one of the sharpest public criticisms yet of the clerg...