Hazratbal Mosque Row: Waqf Board Calls Attack on National Emblem a ‘Terrorist Act’, FIRs Demanded

A major controversy erupted on Friday after unidentified persons defaced the national emblem on a renovation plaque at the Hazratbal mosque in Srinagar. The plaque was vandalised with stones and the emblem removed, sparking sharp reactions from political leaders and the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board.

 

 

Soon after, J&K Waqf Board Chairperson Darakshan Andrabi strongly condemned the act, calling for FIRs against those responsible. Andrabi indirectly blamed National Conference workers for the attack.

 

 

 

 

Andrabi also demanded that the `hooligans’ be arrested and booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA), terming them “goons and terrorists.”

 

 

She said, “This incident is very unfortunate. Tarnishing the national emblem is a terrorist attack, and the attackers are the goons of a political party. These people destroyed Kashmir earlier as well, and now they have openly come inside the Dargah Sharif. Our administrator had a narrow escape. The mob attacked him as well… This mob has committed a huge crime by tarnishing the national emblem. They have damaged the dignity of the dargah, and once they are identified, they will be banned from entering the dargah for life, and an FIR will be filed against them.”

 

 

Reacting to the development, National Conference leader Tanvir Sadiq wrote on X, “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.”

 

 

Reacting to the matter, NC Member Parliament from Srinagar Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi said in a post on X, “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. Hazratbal has seen reconstructions before, but never were such means used to claim credit. Any talk of using PSA in this case only adds insult to injury. It is foolish, unacceptable, and an assault on people’s attachment with their beloved shrine.”

 

 

J&K Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma condemned the act. He said, “It is unfortunate and condemnable. Some people insulted the national emblem. This should not be tolerated. Police and Administration should take action against such elements.”