Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday questioned the Waqf Board over the installation of a foundation stone bearing the national emblem at the Hazratbal shrine, which was vandalised by a mob last week.
Speaking on the reported detention of 25 individuals in connection with the incident, CM Omar called the plaque unnecessary. “Explain why this stone was installed. Sher-e-Kashmir established the Hazratbal shrine, yet he never put his name on it because it wasn’t needed,” he said.
PDP leader Iltija Mufti accused the Waqf Board chairperson of provoking religious sentiments by placing the emblem at the shrine. She added that her party’s attempt to file a police complaint over the alleged provocation had not received a response, while “innocent people” continued to be detained.
“The PDP is trying to file an FIR against the J-K Waqf Board Chairperson, but we have yet to receive a positive response. The law in Kashmir seems inverted—innocent people are being detained while no action has been taken against the Waqf Chairperson, who hurt the religious sentiments of the Muslim majority,” she said.
Mufti emphasized that the controversy was not about patriotism or nationalism but about the Waqf Board’s decision to place the emblem in a way that offended religious beliefs. “This isn’t about the emblem itself. Some practices, like idol worship, are strictly prohibited in Islam. The issue is where the emblem was placed. The Waqf Board should have known better,” she added.
The debate began after a mob vandalised the Ashoka emblem on the Hazratbal shrine’s foundation stone, sparking wider discussions on national symbols and religious sensitivities.
Earlier, National Conference MLA Tanvir Sadiq said while they respected the Ashok Chakra, it had been “misused” by Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board Chairperson Darakhshan Andrabi.
