A plaque bearing the national emblem at the Hazratbal mosque in Jammu and Kashmir was vandalised by a crowd, sparking controversy. Political leaders, including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, refrained from condemning the act, arguing that placing a national emblem at a religious site was inappropriate. Abdullah said the symbol should be placed in government functions rather than places of worship, while Mufti went further, calling it an act of blasphemy.
Omar said, “The first question is whether the emblem should have been etched on the foundation stone. I have never seen the emblem being used in any religious function. So, what was the compulsion to have the emblem on the stone at Hazratbal Shrine?”
Omar questioned the need to install the plaque, saying renovation work itself should have been sufficient. He pointed out that the Hazratbal shrine was given its present form by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, “who never felt the need to put up such plaques”. “People remember his work despite not putting up a stone for himself,” he added.
“Government emblems are used only at government functions. Mosques, dargahs, temples, Gurdwaras are not government places; these are religious places; government emblems are not used there,” he stated.
Mufti said, “The people who vandalised after getting overcome with emotions, and they are not against the emblem…It is not right to say that these people should be arrested under the Public Safety Act and they are terrorists…This is blasphemy for us…Action under section 295-A should be taken against those responsible, especially the Awqaf board…”
Meanwhile, on the Jammu and Kashmir floods, Omar said compensation would be provided to the affected people. He added that the Centre is sending a special team to assess the losses, after which relief measures will be extended.
Speaking to reporters, he said, “There has been a massive loss. But the Administration, be it civil or Police, together with MLAs, took timely steps and evacuated people from low-lying areas and shifted them to emergency centres. This helped us avoid loss of lives.”
Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board Chairperson Darakhshan Andrabi condemns desecration of emblem
Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board Chairperson Darakhshan Andrabi on Friday condemned the act. She condemned the anti-social elements for tarnishing the national emblem and desecrating the Dargah’s sanctity by causing destruction.
She appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and senior security officials to ensure that those responsible are swiftly apprehended.
Andrabi also alleged that the incident had political undertones. This disruption appears to have been deliberately organised by political elements and their supporters.
BJP Senior leader & J&K Waqf Board Chairperson @drdarakhshan condemns anti-social elements for tarnishing the national emblem at Hazratbal Shrine — vows strict legal action to protect peace & harmony in Kashmir. pic.x.com/ZJ6AQ36AlY
— BJP Jammu & Kashmir (@BJP4JnK) September 5, 2025
What is the controversy?
A mob at Srinagar’s revered Hazratbal Dargah vandalised the national Ashoka Emblem inscribed on a newly installed marble stone. The incident occurred on Friday, coinciding with Eid-e-Milad celebrations.
Reports signalled that a crowd, angered by the presence of the national symbol within the shrine’s premises, deliberately damaged the emblem.
The marble plaque, which carried the name of Dr. Darakhshan Andrabi, Chairperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board, had been installed as part of a renovation project inaugurated just three days earlier, on September 3.
The crowd reportedly opposed the move, arguing that Islamic tradition prohibits placing idols or national symbols within a mosque.
Videos of the vandalism circulated widely on social media, drawing sharp criticism from netizens who denounced the defacement of a national emblem. Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had earlier lauded the Waqf Board for the initiative of renovation of Hazratbal Dargah, calling it a ‘glorious cultural milestone’ made possible with the Centre’s support.