Engraving the national emblem on the renovation plaque of the Hazratbal mosque here has sparked a controversy as locals and political leaders have lashed out at the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board, with its chairperson calling for registering FIRs against those opposing it.
The plaque was vandalised by unidentified people and the national emblem removed with stones.
Hours later, Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board Chairperson Darakshan Andrabi called for arresting and booking the "hooligans" under the Public Safety Act (PSA), terming them "militants".
In a statement posted on X, the ruling National Conference (NC) said it has always upheld the guiding principle of Sher-i-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah.
"Sher-i-Kashmir ka kya irshaad -- Hindu, Muslim, Sikh Ittihaad. Unity, mutual respect, and dignity for all faiths remain central to our ideology. It is in this spirit that concerns have been raised over certain practices at the revered Hazratbal shrine. As the spiritual heart of our people, Hazratbal holds immense sanctity, and any activity within it must reflect the sensitivities of the devotees and the principles of faith.
"The Waqf, being a community trust sustained by the contributions of ordinary Muslims, carries a responsibility of transparency, accountability, and respect for traditions. The management of such sacred spaces should remain above controversy and free from actions that may hurt the sentiments of worshippers," it said.
At the same time, it added that it is important that differences, if any, are addressed with dialogue and humility, "rather than confrontation or coercion".
"Arrests, threats, or punitive actions can only deepen mistrust and distance the Waqf from the very community it is meant to serve. Our shrines are symbols of faith, humility, and unity. They must remain spaces that inspire devotion, not division," the NC said.
Devotees who visited the shrine that houses the relic of the Prophet Muhammad slammed the Waqf Board for inscribing the Ashoka emblem on the inauguration stone inside the sacred place and maintained that the presence of any figure or shape at Muslim religious places is against the Islamic concept of monotheism.
The mosque underwent renovation recently, and the reconstruction and redevelopment project was inaugurated by Andrabi.
The inauguration plaque placed inside the shrine had the national emblem etched in the stone, drawing sharp criticism from various quarters.
Devotees said it was "shameful" on the part of the Waqf Board to be "insensitive" to the religious sentiments of the Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir.
Chief spokesperson of the NC and Zadibal MLA Tanvir Sadiq said placing a sculpted figure at the shrine goes against Islam, which forbids idol worship.
"I'm not a religious scholar but in Islam, idol worship is strictly forbidden -- the gravest of sins. The foundation of our faith is Tawheed. Placing a sculpted figure at the revered Hazratbal Dargah goes against this very belief. Sacred spaces must reflect only the purity of Tawheed, nothing else," Sadiq said in a post on X.
After the congregational prayers on Friday, some people broke the inauguration plaque with stones and removed the national emblem.
Addressing a press conference at Hazratbal, a visibly angry Andrabi termed the incident "unfortunate" and said some people are playing politics over the issue.
The Waqf Board chairperson called for the registration of FIRs against those opposed to the placing of the national emblem at the mosque.
"This (incident) is not a scar on the stone, this is a scar on my heart. This is a scar on the Constitution, which the elected leaders here raise. Do the leaders here not use the emblem? Does our elected chief minister not take the emblem along?" she asked.
Labelling those who removed the emblem as militants, Andrabi said ultras are not found in the forests of Jammu and Kashmir only.
"I want to tell police, security forces, the prime minister and the home Minister that militants are not limited to jungles, they are not coming from across (the border), these hooligans are (militants), who broke the emblem with stones. They should be found and booked under the PSA. They are trying to vitiate the atmosphere here," she said.
She called for registering FIRs against those involved in vandalising the plaque.
"I appeal to the home minister, LG and DGP to not let anyone of them go away. They are roaming freely like they used to. They have vitiated the atmosphere. They cannot bear happiness.
"I appeal to the DGP, IGP and security forces to register FIRs against all of them, book (them) under the PSA and arrest them. Otherwise, I will sit on a hunger strike," the Waqf Board chairperson said.
She also called for the registration of an FIR against Sadiq.
"The Assembly member who tweeted this, an FIR against him is necessary, because it looks like that these (people who vandalised the plaque) were his hooligans," she said.
Andrabi also asked police and Waqf Board officials to bodily search the MLA if and when he visits the shrine, "so that there are no currency notes in his pocket. Otherwise, if he has, then that will be 'makroh' (detestable) to be taken inside".
She said those who have a problem with the use of the national emblem should not carry currency notes, which feature the emblem, while visiting the shrine.
"Had there been (Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister) Omar Abdullah's name, would they have done the same thing? They cannot bear that anyone other than them can work -- work that is appreciated across the country," she said.
NC's Srinagar MP and Shia leader Ruhullah Mehdi said 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. People were rightly offended by this dangerous attempt to play with religious sensitivities for self-glorification," Mehdi said in a post on his official X handle.
He said the Hazratbal shrine has seen reconstructions before, but never were such means used to claim credit.
Referring to the Waqf Board chairperson's call for lodging FIRs against those who vandalised the plaque, he said "any talk of using PSA in the case only adds insult to injury".
"It is foolish, unacceptable, and an assault on people's attachment with their beloved shrine," Mehdi said.
Commenting on the issue, People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti said "it seems that Muslims are deliberately being provoked".
"Labelling Kashmiris as 'terrorists' just because they expressed their anger on something which hurt their religious sentiments and asking police to slap them with PSA reflects BJP's punitive and communal mindset.
"The Waqf board should certainly have been more mindful and sensitive. It seems that Muslims are deliberately being provoked," she said in a post on X.
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