Srinagar: The row over vandalising of a plaque bearing the national emblem within the Hazratbal mosque in Srinagar has turned messier with Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah defending those involved.
According to him, the national emblem has no place in a religious institution as it does not belong to the government.
The row erupted over a plaque put up by the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board with details of renovation of the mosque in Srinagar. The plaque has an Ashoka Emblem on it. On Friday, hundreds of men and women gathered at the revered shrine and started shouting slogans against the authorities. Matters came to a head when protesters picked up bricks and started damaging the plaque.
Police personnel reached the spot and got the place vacated. Later, former chief minister and National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah also reached Hazratbal to pacify the protesters. On Saturday, the Srinagar Police registered a case against unidentified persons, charging them with breach of peace, rioting and criminal conspiracy.
The chief minister urged the police not to take any action against the protesters as their sentiments had been hurt. The symbol is meant for government functions and not religious institutions, Omar Abdullah said.
The CM also said that the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board should apologise for the “mistake” that has hurt religious sentiments. He was speaking to reporters during his visit to the flood-affected areas in south Kashmir.
“First, the question arises whether the national emblem should have been used on this stone or not. I have never seen an emblem being used in this way in any religious place. Mosques, shrines, temples and gurudwaras are not government institutions. These are religious institutions and government emblems are not used in religious institutions,” Abdullah said.
National Conference leader and Hazratbal legislator Tanvir Sadiq has said the plaque with the emblem was against the belief of ‘Tawheed’ (oneness of God).
“I am not a religious scholar but in Islam, idol worship is strictly forbidden — the gravest of sins. Placing a sculpted figure at the revered Hazratbal Dargah goes against this very belief. Sacred spaces must reflect only the purity of Tawheed, nothing else,” he posted on X.
Darakhshan Andrabi, vice-chairperson of the Waqf Board has called the protesters “terrorists” and demanded their arrest. She also blamed Sadiq for “adding fuel to fire”.
“I had warned that such trouble could be created. FIRs will be filed against everyone responsible, including the MLA whose tweet added fuel to the fire,” Andrabi said.