Row over defacing of National Emblem at Hazratbal shrine

The defacing of a newly installed plaque bearing the Ashoka Emblem inside Srinagar's Hazratbal shrine after Friday prayers has sparked a major controversy.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Jammu, 6 September

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah questioned the placement of the national symbol in a religious site and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti demanding action under blasphemy laws against the Waqf Board for authorising its installation.

The issue snowballed into a major debate on Saturday with several valley-based political parties and religious organisations criticising the Waqf Board for installing the plaque inside the Hazratbal, along the banks of Dal Lake, which is one of the most revered Muslim shrines in Jammu and Kashmir as it houses the holy relic of the Prophet.

A group of people who came to offer prayers at the shrine on Friday allegedly damaged the emblem on the inauguration plaque.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah criticised the use of the National Emblem on a renovation plaque by the Waqf Board, asserting that the symbol is meant for government functions and not religious institutions.

"Mosques, shrines, temples and gurdwaras are not government institutions. These are religious institutions and government emblems are not used in religious institutions," he said.