Jammu & Kashmir: National Emblem vandalization at Hazratbal shrine sparks row
Guwahati: Tensions aggravated in Srinagar on Friday after a group of locals allegedly vandalized the National Emblem Ashok Chakra engraved on a plaque at the Hazratbal Shrine.
The plaque, installed outside the main prayer hall following recent renovations, featured the Ashok Chakra , an act that reportedly stirred a massive controversy.
Videos of the act of desecration are going viral on social media.
They show a crowd defacing the emblem amid loud protests.
Cops have have registered a case and initiated an investigation.
The incident justifiably incurred a sharp political backlash.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) termed the act a “terrorist-like” action, and demanded stringent legal action against those involved.
BJP leader and Jammu & Kashmir Waqf Board chairperson Darakhshan Andrabi accused the ruling National Conference (NC) of pampering anti-national elements.
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"This act doesn’t just damage a stone — it attacks the Constitution and the values it upholds," Andrabi said during a press interaction.
She urged the police, security agencies, and top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to lend the issue the grave seriousness it deserves.
NC spokesperson and former MLA Tanvir Sadiq however argued that installing a sculpted emblem at a religious site goes against Islamic tenets.
"I'm no religious scholar," Sadiq posted on social media platform X, "but Islam strictly forbids idol worship. The presence of any sculpted figure, even the national emblem, in a place of worship contradicts the principle of Tawheed, the foundation of our faith."
He underscored the importance of maintaining the sanctity of religious spaces.
Authorities have not arrested any accused, but the police confirmed that they are going through video evidence and eyewitness accounts.
The case has drawn significant public attention, with many urging both restraint and accountability.