A political controversy has erupted in Jammu and Kashmir following a major disturbance at Srinagar’s revered Hazratbal Shrine on Friday. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah sharply criticized Waqf Chairperson Darakshan Andrabi, stating that the National Emblem should not be used at religious sites. He further remarked that if Andrabi facilitated the shrine’s renovation, there was no need for her to display a plaque claiming credit.
The unrest arose from a newly installed marble plaque, unveiled during the recent renovation of the Hazratbal Shrine, which featured an engraving of the Ashoka Pillar, India’s national emblem. Some locals, interpreting the emblem as resembling a statue, viewed its placement inside the mosque as a violation of Islamic principles, triggering widespread outrage.
Omar Abdullah, CM of Jammu and Kashmir, said, “Should they have placed an emblem on that Plaque or not is the first question that needs to be asked. I have not seen- use of emblems in any religious place. What was the need of placing the plaque?”
“Dargah was made by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. Did he place any plaque on it? But everyone remembers that it was done by him, so the work would have spoken for itself. It was a mistake and should not have happened. Now threatening people after playing with their emotions, they should apologize to people for doing this. Emblem is only used for government places and not religious places,” he added.
It was not only CM Omar, the sitting MP of Srinagar parliament constituency, Srinagar MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, too, condemned the placing of the plaque in the shrine.
He wrote on X, “Attempts to monumentalise egos inside Hazratbal are not acts of devotion but of arrogance. A sacred place that has stood for centuries needs no one’s nameplate for legitimacy. People were rightly offended by this dangerous attempt to play with religious sensitivities for self-glorification.”
“Hazratbal has seen reconstructions before, but never were such means used to claim credit. Any talk of using PSA in this case only adds insult to injury. It is foolish, unacceptable, and an assault on people’s attachment with their beloved shrine,” he added.
As the controversy escalates into a heated political debate, former Jammu and Kashmir CM and PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti emphasized that the Hazratbal Dargah is a revered religious shrine where no Muslim would tolerate any form of indiscipline. She further stated that there is no place for shirk at the Hazratbal Dargah.
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Mehbooba Mufti, in an exclusive interview with Zee News, said, “People have not fiddled with the National Emblem, but they were against idol worship. This is a blasphemy for us. The people related to the Waqf board must be booked under the Blasphemy Act. I request CM Omar Abdullah to take note of it. This was a religious function and not a Crown Ceremony. Neither was it the function of the BJP, and how come this type of signboard was put there, which is against Islam?”
“I request the authorities and CM Omar Abdullah that whoever is responsible must be booked under Section 295 of the Law. I condemn the statement where the people have been threatened with being booked under the PSA. I request people to desist from violence and not violate the law. FIR must be lodged under the Blasphemy Act, not against those who have expressed their anger against the action which is against the Islamic religion,” she added.
Before this, Darakhshan Andrabi, Chairperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board, talking to Zee News, strongly condemned the vandalism of a marble plaque bearing the Ashoka Pillar at Hazratbal Shrine. She called for stringent action under the Public Safety Act (PSA) against those who damaged the plaque, asserting that their actions constituted a direct disrespect to India’s National Emblem and an assault on the Constitution.
BJP Kashmir unit, to balance the party image of being called anti-Islam in Kashmir today first time held a MILAD rally and raised Islamic slogans on the streets of Srinagar; however, they said that the way the emblem was attacked is a terrorist act.
Altaf Thakur said, “This rally is a message that the BJP believes in ‘Sab Ka Sath, Sab Ka Vikas’, and Modi ji had always talked about 1.4 crore country people, there is no discrimination. He said it’s true that Muslims don’t keep images where they pray, but the way they attacked on emblem is a terrorist act, and when a police man guards the shrine, he has an emblem on his body. When people go to Hajj, they have the same emblem on their bags.”
Seeing the unrest yesterday at Darga premises and today being the Eid Milad in Nabi, heavy deployment of police and CRPF was in place at Darga Hazratba,l where today thousands of people had prayers and had a look at the holy relic of Prophet Mohammed ( PBUH).
No voice was reported today at the shrine. People offered prayers and left Darga peacefully. People talking to Zee News said it’s true that we can’t have idols in shrines or mosques, but the people yesterday were also wrong. There is no space for violence in Islam, they said, and also appealed to Darakshana andrabi not to be harsh to the people who had done this.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police have registered an FIR vide No. 76 of 2025 under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against 15 people at the Nigeen police station regarding the vandalism of plaques and Ashoka Emblem.