A massive controversy is raging in Jammu and Kashmir after a plaque with the Ashoka emblem was vandalised in the Hazratbal shrine as parties have 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 National Conference, People’s Democratic Party and the Communist Party of India-Marxist said the use of Ashoka emblem in the mosque was ‘provocative’ and ‘blasphemous’, the Bharatiya Janata Party 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, 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.
