BJP, NC, Waqf at loggerheads over emblem at Hazratbal shrine: What is the controversy about?

Chief minister Omar Abdullah said the use of the national emblem at hazratbal shrine was inappropriate.

A political storm has erupted in Jammu and Kashmir after the national emblem was engraved on a renovation plaque at the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar, sparking strong reactions from political parties, religious leaders.

J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah slam national emblem's use in Hazratbal plaque(File Photo)

The controversy has led to vandalism of the plaque, police action, and demands for the removal of Waqf Board chairperson Darakshan Andrabi.

Day after the incident, chief minister Omar Abdullah said the use of the national emblem in a religious place was inappropriate. "First, the question arises whether the national emblem should have been used on this stone or not. I have never seen an emblem being used in this way in any religious place," Abdullah told reporters in Anantnag.

"Mosques, shrines, temples and gurdwaras are not government institutions. These are religious institutions and government emblems are not used in religious institutions," he added.

A case has also been registered for the breach of peace, rioting and criminal conspiracy, police said.

Meanwhile, Waqf Board chief Darakshan Andrabi condemned the vandalism and called for legal action, including use of the Public Safety Act, against those involved.

NC, PDP demand action against Waqf Board

The NC accused Andrabi of violating the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, 2005. "JKNC demands her immediate dismissal and registration of a criminal case for violating the State Emblem of India Act," the party said on X, posting a comparison with the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine inauguration plaque, which did not feature the emblem.

PDP chief and former CM Mehbooba Mufti described the installation as “blasphemous”. “The move has deeply hurt the religious feelings of Muslims and those responsible should be booked under the law,” reported news agency PTI.

Mufti demanded the disbanding of the Waqf Board and removal of its officials. She added, "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."

People’s Conference chief Sajad Lone termed the use of the emblem “regrettable.” On X, he said, “Using an emblem inside a revered religious shrine is regrettable.” He also urged the police to “desist from registering an FIR” and asked political leaders to exercise restraint.

BJP defends emblem

The BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit condemned the vandalism and demanded action against those who damaged the plaque as well as those allegedly working “behind the scenes.”

“The Hazratbal incident, a very sensitive issue, is a cause of concern. A National Conference legislator tweeted about the plaque containing the Ashoka Stambh and the video of its vandalism went viral, hurting the sentiments of the people of the country,” PTI quoted BJP chief spokesperson Sunil Sethi as saying at a press conference.

Calling the Ashoka emblem a symbol of national pride, the BJP said the act was not just against the state but also against “Kashmir’s Sufi culture which teaches tolerance.”

Meanwhile, Lt Governor of Ladakh Kavinder Gupta also reacted strongly, saying, he is “deeply anguished by the vandalism.”

He added, "Such acts hurt our national sentiments & will not be tolerated. Strong action will be taken against miscreants," an ‘X’ post by his office read.

(With PTI inputs)