Anantnag : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday questioned the use of the national emblem on the foundation stone of the renovated Hazratbal Shrine, saying he had never seen such emblems displayed at religious places.
Abdullah stressed that government symbols are meant for official functions, not places of worship.
“The first question is whether the emblem should have been inscribed on the foundation stone. I have never seen it used in any religious place. What was the compulsion to put the emblem on the stone at Hazratbal Shrine? Was the work itself not enough?” he said.
His remarks came after a video went viral showing a mob defacing the national emblem on the shrine’s plaque. The Hazratbal Shrine, currently undergoing redevelopment under the Waqf Board, houses the holy relic of Prophet Mohammad.
Abdullah further recalled that the shrine had been developed during Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah’s tenure. “He never put up such stones. People still remember his work without it. Government emblems are for government institutions, not mosques, temples, gurdwaras or dargahs,” he said.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Darakshan Andrabi strongly condemned the vandalism, calling it a “very unfortunate” incident.
“Tarnishing the national emblem is a terrorist act carried out by the goons of a political party. These people destroyed Kashmir in the past and have now entered the dargah,” she said.
Andrabi added that a Waqf administrator present at the site narrowly escaped an attack. “The mob not only disrespected the national emblem but also damaged the sanctity of the shrine. Once identified, they will be permanently banned from entering the dargah and an FIR will be lodged against them,” she said.
