India, Oct. 13 -- Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board Chairperson Dr Syed Darakhshan Andrabi on Tuesday clarified that the Board has issued no order making uniform Friday sermons mandatory in its affiliated mosques, saying religious scholars and preachers are free to decide the issues they wish to address.

Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Darakhshan Andrabi said neither she nor any Waqf Board official could dictate the subjects of Friday sermons, asserting that the decision rests with independent religious scholars, preachers and sermon-givers.

"Even Darakhshan Andrabi cannot take any decision, nor can my officer take any decision. It is the decision of the independent scholars, our preachers, our sermonists, that we should try to re...