'Its A Religious Place, Not Government': J&K CM Omar Abdullah On Vandalism At Hazratbal Shrine

This followed an incident where devotees damaged the emblem. The BJP demanded action, while PDP's Mehbooba Mufti defended the act as emotional, suggesting action against the Waqf board instead.

Jammu and Kashmir's Chief Minister Omar Abdullah criticized the placement of the government emblem on a plaque at the Hazratbal shrine, a religious site.

Source : PTI

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah questioned the engraving of the emblem on the plaque at the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar, saying it's a religious place and not a government institution. The Chief Minister's remark comes a day after some devotees at the revered shrine defiled the emblem on the plaque by smashing it with a stone.

"The first question is whether the emblem should have been etched on the foundation stone," Abdullah asked. 

"I have never seen the emblem being used in any religious function. So, what was the compulsion to have the emblem on the stone at Hazratbal Shrine? What was the need to put up the stone? Was just work not enough? Hazratbal Shrine was given this form by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. Did he put up such stones anywhere? People remember his work, despite his not putting up a stone for himself," said the National Conference leader. 

VIDEO | Anantnag, J&K: On viral video of mob breaking national emblem at Hazratbal Shrine foundation stone, CM Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) says,
“The first question is whether that emblem should have been there at all? I haven’t seen an emblem in such religious places. What was… pic.twitter.com/IrSb7hEDVf

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 6, 2025

"Government emblems are used only at government functions. Mosques, dargah, temples, Gurdwara are not government places, these are religious places; government emblems are not used there," he added. 

The incident, which took place on the occasion of Eid-e-Milad, triggered a political row in Jammu and Kashmir as the Bharatiya Janata Party demanded action against those who tried to "obliterate" the national emblem. 

Meanwhile, People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti said those who vandalised the emblem did so out of emotion and added that they were 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.