Call for J&K Waqf Board chief’s dismissal
Srinagar/Jammu: A massive controversy is raging in Kashmir after a plaque with the Ashoka emblem was vandalised in the Hazratbal shrine as parties on Saturday accused Waqf Board chief Darakshan Andrabi of hurting religious sentiments by using the national emblem in the mosque and demanded registration of a criminal case and her immediate removal.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, while on a tour of flood-affected areas, said the Waqf Board should apologise for the “mistake,” asserting that the national emblem is meant for government functions, not religious institutions.
While parties like the NC, PDP and the CPI(M) said the use of Ashoka emblem in the mosque was “provocative” and “blasphemous”, the BJP slammed the defacement of the plaque, claiming the incident was an attempt to revive “terrorism and separatism” in the Valley.
The plaque was placed inside the Hazratbal shrine, which holds a relic of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), on Friday, sparking outrage among devotees who argued that placing any figure or symbol inside a mosque is against the Islamic principle of monotheism.
The plaque was subsequently vandalised and removed by unidentified individuals after Friday prayers, prompting police to register a case against unknown people.
“I have never seen an emblem being used in this way in any religious place,” Abdullah told reporters. “Mosques, shrines, temples and gurudwaras are not government institutions. These are religious institutions and government emblems are not used in religious institutions.”
Abdullah also questioned the need for the plaque itself, noting that the shrine’s founder, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, had completed his work without seeking personal credit. He said the Waqf Board should have apologised for the incident instead of resorting to threats.
“What was the need for this plaque? Was the work done not enough? Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah gave shape to this shrine… Even today, people remember his work, even though he did not use a stone in his name. There was no need to use a stone,” the chief minister said.
The controversy escalated when Andrabi, a BJP appointee, called for legal action, including booking the “hooligans” under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA), for vandalising the emblem.
Abdullah condemned Andrabi’s response, saying that the board “played with the sentiments of the people” and is now using threats.
“First, at least, they should have apologised for it. They should admit the mistake. It should not have happened,” the CM said.
He said that nowhere in the country is the national emblem used on any religious place. “Google search and you will find that the national emblem is only used in government functions,” he said.
BJP spokesperson Sunil Sethi asserted that the National Conference (NC) was behind the incident, accusing a legislator’s tweet and an MP’s subsequent remarks of provoking religious sentiments.
Sethi stated that the national emblem is a symbol of respect for all faiths and that the attack went against Kashmir’s tolerant Sufi culture.
He said that the party demands that “the action should not be limited to only those who vandalised the plaque” but also the “hands that worked behind the scenes.”
Abdullah’s National Conference (NC) demanded Andrabi’s dismissal and the registration of a criminal case against her for allegedly violating the State Emblem of India Act.
The party stated that the emblem is a symbol of unity and integrity, but its misuse should not be tolerated.
“What happened in Hazratbal is unfortunate. We are against violence in any form,” said NC’s chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq, who was flanked by a dozen MLAs at a presser here. He stressed that the Waqf Board chairperson’s actions had hurt the religious sentiments of the people.
Sadiq, while condemning the vandalism, said the Waqf Board chairperson’s actions were “unfortunate” and asked why she would use the emblem in a religious function when the Prime Minister and Lieutenant Governor do not.
“JKNC demands her (Andrabi’s) immediate dismissal and registration of a criminal case for violating the State Emblem of India Act,” the party said.
The party shared a photograph showing Lt Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurating a CCTV surveillance system with an integrated command and control centre at Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Jammu. The inauguration plaque there does not include the national emblem embossed on it.
NC’s MLA from Hazratbal, Salman Sagar, expressed apprehensions that it could have been a deliberate ploy to exploit the situation in the run-up to the Bihar elections.
“I think this was pre-planned. The situation may be exploited for the Bihar elections. It could be used as a fodder for right-wing activists,” he claimed.
Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) described the installation of the emblem as an “act of blasphemy” and also called for an FIR to be registered against Andrabi.
“The move has deeply hurt the religious feelings of Muslims and those responsible should be booked under the law. FIR should be registered under Section 295-A (IPC), for blasphemy against her (Andrabi) and those who placed the plaque. This is an act of blasphemy,” Mufti told reporters here.
The former CM said the Waqf Board should be immediately disbanded and suspended, and all officers, including its head, should be removed from the board.
“I request (chief minister) Omar Abdullah that heads must roll because how did the Waqf allow something which is considered ‘shirk’ (act of associating partners with God) in our religion,” she added.
Mufti said instead of taking action against those who defaced the emblem out of concern for “religious sentiment”, the government should lodge an FIR against the Waqf Board chairperson and its members who “allowed” such an act.
“Hazratbal is a religious place, not a venue for coronation or political symbolism. People were not against the emblem. They were against idol worship. They did not try to destroy the emblem, but the idol,” she added.
She hit out at the Waqf Board chairperson and said, “The Waqf head is from the BJP. We also ran Waqf in our times, but we did not make it a party board. Today, it is run by the BJP, which is anti-Muslim,” Mufti said.
She appealed to the people not to damage property, saying they should not allow the administration or police an opportunity to jail them.
Senior CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami echoed these sentiments, calling the move “unnecessary and provocative” and suggesting that a case should be registered against Andrabi, not the protestors.
The MLA Kulgam said the BJP should desist from politicising the religious institutions in J&K.
People’s Conference chief Sajad Gani Lone said the use of the national emblem on the renovation plaque at the shrine was “regrettable”.
“The sequence of events at the Hazratbal shrine is unfortunate. Using an emblem inside a revered religious shrine is regrettable,” Lone said on X, adding that police should “desist from registering” an FIR.
“And the political class may please use caution in their utterances. Any operational measures will eventually target non-leaders,” he added.
