- The national emblem's use at Hazratbal shrine has hurt public sentiments, said Omar Abdullah
- His remark comes after devotees damaged the emblem at Hazratbal during Eid-e-Milad celebrations
- The plaque was recently installed by the Waqf Board after shrine renovation
The national emblem should not have been used at a religious place as it has hurt public sentiments, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said, a day after angry devotees defiled the emblem engraved on a plaque fixed outside the main prayer room of the Hazratbal shrine in Jammu and Kashmir.
Dargah Hazratbal, the most revered shrine for Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir, houses the relic of Prophet Mohammad. It hosted a gathering of devotees yesterday on the occasion of Eid-e-Milad, during which a crowd damaged the plaque while shouting slogans against the Waqf Board.
The incident triggered a political storm in the Union territory with the BJP demanding action against those who tried to "obliterate" the national emblem. But Mr Abdullah questioned the very need of having the national emblem there.
"The first question is whether the emblem should have been etched on the stone. I've never seen the emblem being used in any religious function. What was the compulsion to have the emblem on the stone at Hazratbal Shrine? What was the need to put up the stone (plaque)?" said Mr Abdullah.
Situated on the banks of Dal Lake, the centuries-old shrine was formally inaugurated by the Waqf Board earlier this week following renovation. This is the first time a plaque has been put on the shrine's wall to mark the inauguration.
Pointing this out, Mr Abdullah said, "The Hazratbal shrine was given this form by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. Did he put up such stones anywhere? People remember his work, despite him not putting up a stone for himself. There was no need to put up a plaque. If work is good, people would recognise."
Calling the decision to put up the plaque a "mistake", the Chief Minister asked reporters to search online if the emblem had earlier been used at religious places.
"A mistake had happened, and then this occurred, though it shouldn't have. First, apologise for hurting people's sentiments...Government emblems are used only at government functions. Mosques, dargahs, temples, and gurdwaras are not government places but religious places; government emblems are not used there," he added.
Mehbooba Mufti, former chief minister and PDP leader, said those who vandalised the emblem did so out of emotion, and they were not against the emblem.
"The people who vandalised after getting overcome with emotions; they are not against the emblem. It is not right to say that these people should be arrested under the Public Safety Act and that they are terrorists. This is blasphemy for us. Action under section 295-A should be taken against those responsible, especially the Waqf board," she said.
Earlier, BJP leader and J&K Waqf Board chairperson Darakhshan Andrabi had called it a "terrorist attack" and urged the police to identify the attackers and charge them under the Public Safety Act (PSA). "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," she had said.
