Dozens have been detained for questioning in connection with the recent vandalism of the plaque with the Ashoka emblem in the Hazratbal shrine after police intensified their searches for the people involved.
The controversy has deepened further after resentment was expressed by the major political parties, religious clergy and civil societies. Protesters, political parties, civil societies and religious clergy have slammed the Waqf and demanded the immediate removal of the emblem and an apology from Darakhshan Andrabi.
The incident has triggered massive outrage in the valley, where people have expressed their dissatisfaction with the unfolding of hostile events. Women protesters slammed Waqf Chairperson Darakshan Andrabi for facilitating an anti-Muslim and blasphemous act in one of the holiest shrines in Kashmir.
They fear that the act would set a precedent for such events and acts in the future and demanded that this must not be done again. The fear is real and is widespread after recent verdicts that have gone against the Muslim community in the country, be it the Babri Masjid case or the Waqf amendment laws aimed at bringing the Waqf properties under government control.
While no one has been formally arrested, several dozen people have been called for questioning, said a senior police officer. The official said action “as per law will also be taken against women who vandalised the plaque, but any minor found involved in the incident will not be proceeded against”.
While religious clergy in the Kashmir Valley alleged that it was an act of deliberate attempt to stir a fresh controversy, they demanded action against the people who decided to put the Ashoka Emblem on the stone outside the main mosque.
Also Read: Kiren Rijiju condemns defacement of Ashoka Emblem at Hazratbal
Meanwhile, protesters on Friday demanded action against the Waqf chairperson and BJP leader Darakshan Andrabi for allegedly hurting religious sentiments in the sensitive region.
They accused her of criminal negligence and demanded immediate removal of the emblem and also a case against the said chairperson. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said the Waqf Board should apologise for the “mistake”, asserting that the national emblem is meant for government functions, not religious institutions.
While parties like the NC, PDP and the CPI(M) said the use of the Ashoka emblem in the mosque was “provocative” and blasphemous, the BJP slammed the defacement of the plaque.
“I have never seen an emblem being used in this way in any religious place. Mosques, shrines, temples and gurdwaras are not government institutions. These are religious institutions, and government emblems are not used in religious institutions,” Abdullah added.
Andrabi, a BJP appointee, called for legal action, including booking the “hooligans” under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA), for vandalising the emblem.
Also Read: 26 detained for vandalizing national emblem at Hazratbal shrine
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