Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday criticised the installation of the national emblem on a plaque inside the Hazratbal Shrine, saying it was unnecessary and against religious sentiments.
Speaking to reporters in Anantnag, Omar said, “The first question is whether such a plaque should have been installed there in the first place. I have never seen this emblem being used in any religious institution or any function before. Then why was there a need to put up such a stone? If the work was good enough, people themselves would have recognised it.”
He recalled that Hazratbal Shrine was given its present form by his grandfather, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, who never felt the need to install plaques or emblems. “Even today people remember his work without any nameplate. That shows the stone was never needed,” Omar added.
Reacting to Waqf Board Chairperson Dr Darakshan Andrabi’s warning that those who damaged the emblem could face action under the Public Safety Act (PSA), Omar said the matter should have been handled differently. “First, people’s sentiments were played with. An apology should have been offered, but no one did that. The emblem is meant only for government offices. It cannot be used in any religious institution, whether it is a temple, mosque, or shrine,” he said.
Omar stressed that the Waqf Board should have admitted its mistake instead of defending it. “The Waqf Board should have apologised for hurting people’s sentiments,” he remarked.
