Hazratbal Shrine Controversy: Protests Erupt, Waqf Board Chief Slams NC Leader

SRINAGAR: Protests broke out at the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar on Friday after worshippers objected to the installation of the Ashoka emblem on the newly inaugurated plaque, with many calling it a violation of the Islamic belief system.

National Conference (NC) leader and Zadibal MLA Tanvir Sadiq said the move contradicted the principle of Tawheed, arguing that placing a “sculpted figure” inside the shrine amounted to endorsing idol-like symbolism. “Sacred spaces must reflect only the purity of Tawheed, nothing else,” Sadiq wrote on X.

Im not a religious scholar but in In Islam, idol worship is strictly forbidden—the gravest of sins. The foundation of our faith is Tawheed.

Placing a sculpted figure, at the revered Hazratbal Dargah goes against this very belief. Sacred spaces must reflect only the purity of…

— Tanvir Sadiq (@tanvirsadiq) September 5, 2025

National Conference leader and MP Srinagar, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, also weighed in on the controversy, stating that “attempts to monumentalise egos inside Hazratbal are not acts of devotion but of arrogance.” In a post from his office handle on X, he said the shrine, which has stood for centuries, needed no nameplate for legitimacy and argued that people were rightly offended by what he called a “dangerous attempt” to play with religious sensitivities for self-glorification. He added that while Hazratbal had undergone reconstructions before, such means were never used to claim credit, terming the talk of invoking the Public Safety Act in this case “foolish, unacceptable, and an assault on people’s attachment with their beloved shrine.”

Attempts to monumentalise egos inside Hazratbal are not acts of devotion but of arrogance. A sacred place that has stood for centuries needs no one’s nameplate for legitimacy. People were rightly offended by this dangerous attempt to play with religious sensitivities for…

— Office of Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi (@Office_ASRM) September 5, 2025

In response, Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board Chairperson Syed Darakhshan Andrabi lashed out at the defacing of the emblem, terming it an “attack on the Constitution” and accusing NC leaders of politicising a religious issue. “Today’s incident is an attack on the lovers of the Prophet and on the Constitution,” Andrabi said at an emergency press conference, urging police to invoke the Public Safety Act (PSA) against those involved.

Andrabi accused NC leaders of double standards, noting that the State Emblem is routinely used in official work. “Don’t politicians use the emblem? Don’t you carry money bearing the emblem in your pockets?” she asked. Without directly naming him, she referred to Sadiq as “unfit to be called a leader” and alleged that some politicians had previously harboured militants in their homes.

The Waqf chief warned that she would go on a hunger strike if action was not taken against the perpetrators and demanded an FIR against the NC leader for his remarks. She also said shops owned by those involved in defacing the plaque had been sealed.

The controversy erupted just two days after Andrabi inaugurated the renovated interiors of the Hazratbal shrine as part of a beautification project. The works included gold carvings, papier-mâché, Khatamband, Pinjrakari, and advanced sound and digital systems, marking the first major overhaul of the shrine since 1968.

Earlier in the day, a video clip went viral that showed worshippers attempting to damage the plaque. They were shouting slogans as well.