Waqf Chief Andrabi demands FIR against vandals, NC MP Ruhullah opposes
Srinagar, Sep 5: Engraving the National Emblem on a renovation plaque at the Hazratbal shrine has triggered a major row in Kashmir after the plaque was vandalised by unidentified people. The move has divided opinions between political parties, devotees, and the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board, whose chairperson, Darakshan Andrabi, demanded strict action against those opposing the emblem.
The controversy began after the Waqf Board inaugurated renovation works at the shrine, where the relic of Prophet Muhammad is preserved. The inauguration plaque, placed inside the sacred premises, carried the Ashoka emblem, which critics said was against Islamic principles prohibiting figures or shapes inside religious places. Devotees condemned the move as “insensitive” to Muslim sentiments and accused the Waqf of undermining the sanctity of the shrine.
Hours after the plaque was damaged and the emblem defaced with stones, Andrabi lashed out, terming the act “a scar on the Constitution” and equating the perpetrators with militants. She urged the police, administration, and security forces to register FIRs and book the accused under the Public Safety Act (PSA). “These hooligans are militants who want to vitiate the atmosphere. If no action is taken, I will sit on a hunger strike,” she warned.
Andrabi also accused certain political leaders of instigating the vandalism and demanded that even lawmakers tweeting against the emblem be booked. “They should not carry currency notes with the emblem if they oppose it,” she remarked, insisting that no one objected when plaques carried the names of political leaders in the past.
Her hardline stance drew sharp criticism from opposition parties, especially the National Conference (NC). In a statement, the NC said Hazratbal was the “spiritual heart” of Kashmiris and must remain above controversy. It reminded that the Waqf, as a community trust, must act with transparency and avoid actions that offend religious sentiments. “Concerns must be addressed with dialogue and humility rather than coercion,” the NC said, cautioning that arrests and threats would only widen mistrust.
NC leader and Srinagar MP Ruhullah Mehdi went further, calling the inscription of the emblem inside Hazratbal “an act of arrogance, not devotion.” He said the shrine had witnessed renovations before, but never were plaques used for political credit. Mehdi rejected Andrabi’s demand for PSA action, calling it “foolish, unacceptable, and an insult to people’s attachment with the shrine.”
The incident has not only exposed divisions within Kashmiri society but also sparked a wider debate about the balance between national symbolism and religious sensitivities. While Andrabi defended the emblem as a constitutional marker that leaders across India use, critics argued that religious sanctity must not be compromised for political visibility.
As tensions rise, devotees fear the row could disturb the shrine’s role as a unifying symbol for Muslims in Kashmir. Calls for restraint and dialogue have grown louder, but Andrabi remains adamant that those behind the vandalism face the harshest punishment.
