A mob vandalised the National Emblem engraved on a plaque during a protest at the Hazratbal Shrine in Srinagar on Friday (September 5, 2025).
The incident took place on a day when Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah accused the Lieutenant Governor of denying a holiday as per the Islamic calendar on the birthday of Prophet Muhammad and “hurting sentiments of people”.
Darakshan Andrabi, chairperson of J&K Waqf Board, sought police action against the protesters and accused the National Conference (NC) of inciting the people.
“In Islam, idol worship is strictly forbidden. Placing a sculpted figure at the revered Hazratbal Dargah goes against this very belief,” NC leader and MLA Tanvir Sadiq said.
Ms. Andrabi, a BJP leader, recently inaugurated the renovated sanctum sanctorum of the shrine. The all-marble shrine was built by NC founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah in the 1970s and was considered a bastion of the party. After J&K became a Union Territory in 2019, the pro-NC pulpit was taken over by Ms. Andrabi and officers of the Waqf Board.
