Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday criticised the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board for using the National Emblem on a renovation plaque at Srinagar’s revered Hazratbal shrine, saying the symbol is meant solely for government functions, not religious institutions.
Speaking while visiting flood-affected areas in South Kashmir, Abdullah called for an apology from the Waqf Board for what he termed a “mistake” that hurt religious sentiments. The controversy erupted after the plaque, bearing the Ashoka emblem, was vandalised by unidentified individuals shortly after Friday prayers. Police have registered a case under charges including breach of peace, rioting, and criminal conspiracy.
“Mosques, shrines, temples, and gurdwaras are religious institutions, not government bodies. Government emblems are not used in such places,” Abdullah said, questioning the need for the plaque at all. He referenced National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, who completed work on the shrine without seeking credit or leaving plaques. “What was the need for this plaque? Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah gave shape to this shrine, and even today people remember his work without any stone bearing his name,” he added.
Abdullah also condemned Waqf Board Chairperson Darakshan Andrabi’s response, which included calls for strict legal action, including booking the alleged vandals under the Public Safety Act (PSA). “First, they should have admitted the mistake and apologised instead of threatening people,” he said.
The Chief Minister directed district authorities to expedite relief efforts in flood-hit areas, restore essential services, repair damaged infrastructure, strengthen vulnerable embankments, and ensure adequate supply of food, medicine, and drinking water.
Police registered an FIR (No. 76/2025) at Nigeen Police Station under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Prevention of Insults to the National Honour Act, citing sections on disrupting religious assemblies, intentional insults, rioting, causing wrongful loss, and criminal conspiracy.
The incident has drawn criticism from political leaders and the public. NC Srinagar MP Ruhullah Mehdi and devotee Tanvir Sadiq argued that placing a sculpted emblem inside the shrine violates Islamic principles forbidding idol worship. The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) condemned the call for PSA use, calling it a “punitive and communal mindset” and suggesting deliberate provocation of Muslims.
