NC opposes installation of emblem
Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Sept 5: Amid sloganeering, a group of people today defaced the national emblem on a foundation stone plaque at Dargah Hazratbal shrine, days after the inauguration of its reconstructed inner portion.
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A video widely circulated on social media showed over a hundred people gathering near the plaque, with a few among them striking the emblem with stones in an apparent attempt to erase it.
The incident drew a sharp reaction from Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board Chairperson Dr Darakhshan Andrabi, who described those involved as “goons” and “terrorists.”
She also indirectly linked the act to the ruling National Conference (NC), demanding strict action.
Andrabi termed the defacement “an assault on both the Constitution and the followers of the Prophet (PBUH).”
She added, “I had made it clear earlier that I would not mix religion with politics. What happened today is an attack on the national emblem as well as the sanctity of the shrine.”
Questioning the opposition to the plaque, she said state symbols are routinely used in official work.
“Don’t politicians themselves use the emblem? Don’t you carry money in your pockets, don’t you step into your homes with that money?” she asked.
Indirectly targeting NC spokesperson and MLA Zadibal, Tanvir Sadiq, who had opposed the installation of the emblem at Hazratbal citing Islamic principles, she said: A leader tweeted about it. I don’t consider him worthy of being called a leader. Such people don’t even understand religion. They gave shelter to militants in their own homes.”
Warning of a hunger strike if no action is taken, she urged the police to act immediately and demanded that those involved be booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA).
“Who told you militancy exists only in forests? It is here too. Track down these vandals who defaced the emblem and slap PSA on them. If this plaque had Omar Abdullah’s name on it, would they have dared? I appeal to the Home Minister, LG, DGP and IGP-don’t spare a single person,” she said, also seeking an FIR against the politician who had tweeted about the matter.
The Waqf Board chief further said the Hazratbal shrine had been renovated and beautified after 42 years.
“The entire nation praised it, but some people were unsettled by the progress. They simply cannot bear to see the work we are doing here,” she added.
Speaking with reporters, NC Chief Spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq said that sculptures at any religious place “are against Islam.”
He noted that if there has been violence, “it is wrong, we condemn it.”
He added that instead of demanding FIRs against those involved, the Waqf Chairperson should call these people and discuss the matter with them.
“What is she going to prove by saying FIRs? If religious sentiments have been hurt, they must be made to understand. Fighting won’t bear anything.”
Reacting to the incident, Member Parliament from Srinagar, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, said that “people were rightly offended” by this “dangerous attempt to play with religious sensitivities for self-glorification.”
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.”
The MP stressed that Hazratbal has seen reconstructions before, but never were such means used to “claim credit.”
PDP leader Iltija Mufti, in reaction, said that the Waqf Board should “certainly” have been “more mindful and sensitive.”
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