Srinagar: Over 50 individuals have been detained for questioning in connection with the vandalisation of a plaque bearing the Ashoka emblem at the Hazratbal shrine, as police intensified their search for those responsible, officials said on Sunday.
Authorities reviewed videos and CCTV footage of the incident, which occurred after Friday congregational prayers, leading to the detentions. “No formal arrests have been made so far, but several individuals are being questioned,” a senior police official stated.
The official added that legal action would also be taken against women involved in the vandalism, while any minors implicated would not face prosecution.
The incident triggered a major controversy in Kashmir, with political parties accusing Waqf Board chief Darakshan Andrabi of offending religious sentiments by placing the national emblem inside the mosque. They demanded a criminal case be registered and called for her immediate removal.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the Waqf Board should apologise for the “mistake,” emphasizing that the national emblem is intended for government functions, not religious institutions.
Parties such as the NC, PDP, and CPI(M) described the use of the Ashoka emblem in the mosque as “provocative” and blasphemous, while the BJP condemned the defacement of the plaque, alleging the act was an attempt to revive terrorism and separatism in the Valley.
The plaque had been installed inside the Hazratbal shrine—which houses a relic of Prophet Muhammad—on Thursday, drawing criticism from devotees who argued that placing any figure or symbol inside a mosque violates Islamic principles of monotheism. It was subsequently vandalised and removed by unidentified individuals after Friday prayers, prompting the police to file a case.
“I have never seen an emblem being used in this manner in any religious place. Mosques, shrines, temples, and gurudwaras are religious institutions, not government bodies. Government emblems are not meant to be displayed in them,” Abdullah said.
Andrabi, a BJP appointee, called for stringent legal action, including booking the “hooligans” under the Public Safety Act (PSA), for vandalising the emblem.
