Ashoka Emblem Vandalised at Hazratbal Shrine, Sparks Political Firestorm in Kashmir

A major controversy has erupted in Srinagar after a mob on Friday vandalised a renovation plaque bearing the national Ashoka emblem at the revered Hazratbal Shrine, claiming its sculpted lions violated Islamic principles against figurative depictions in places of worship . The incident, which occurred after Friday prayers, has triggered a fierce political war of words, pitting the BJP-led Waqf Board against Kashmir’s mainstream political parties .

Protesters used stones to smash the emblem, arguing that its presence was contrary to the core Islamic tenet of Tawheed, the oneness of God, which strictly forbids any form of idol worship . The plaque was part of a recent beautification project inaugurated by Darakshan Andrabi, the chairperson of the J&K Waqf Board and a senior BJP leader . The vandalism has been widely condemned, with police registering an FIR and initiating a probe to identify the culprits .

Andrabi reacted sharply, calling the act a “terrorist attack” and an assault on national pride . She accused National Conference (NC) activists of orchestrating the violence, linking it to their “old games of stone pelting” and demanding that an FIR be filed and the perpetrators booked under the stringent Public Safety Act .

However, the installation of the plaque itself had drawn sharp criticism from political leaders. NC chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq argued that “placing a sculpted figure at the revered Hazratbal Dargah goes against this very belief. Sacred spaces must reflect only the purity of Tawheed, nothing else” .

J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah questioned the necessity of using a government emblem in a religious place, noting that no such symbols exist in other holy sites . The NC, in a statement, said the Waqf Board’s move was a “direct affront” to the religious sentiments of devotees and that Andrabi should have apologized instead of issuing threats .

The PDP’s Iltija Mufti also weighed in, calling the plaque a “deliberate attempt to provoke Muslims” and slamming Andrabi’s response as reflective of a “punitive and communal mindset” . The incident has highlighted the sensitive intersection of religious beliefs, national symbols, and political tensions in the Valley .