Emblem defaced at Hazratbal shrine sparks political storm in Kashmir

Emblem defaced at Hazratbal shrine sparks political storm in Kashmir

Srinagar, Sept 5,

: The defacing of an inauguration plaque at the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar bearing the State Emblem of India has triggered a political and religious row in Jammu and Kashmir.

J&K Waqf Board Chairperson Darakhshan Andrabi, in an emergency press conference, condemned the act as “an attack on the Constitution” and demanded those involved be booked under the Public Safety Act. “Militancy is not confined to jungles — militancy is here. I urge police not to spare anyone. Shops of those involved have been closed,” she said, warning she would go on hunger strike if action was not taken.

Her remarks came after people defaced the emblem inscribed on plaque subsequently, NC legislator Tanveer Sadiq posted on X that placing the emblem at Hazratbal clashed with Islamic belief. “In Islam, idol worship is strictly forbidden. Sacred spaces must reflect only the purity of Tawheed,” he wrote.

The dispute has widened political divides, with Andrabi accusing opposition leaders of exploiting religion to incite unrest, while critics argue the Waqf Board showed insensitivity by placing the emblem on the plaque at one of Kashmir’s most revered shrines.

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