Emblem episode quite unfortunate: Grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam

Srinagar, Sep 6: Grand Mufti of Jammu and Kashmir, Nasir-ul-Islam, on Saturday termed the row over national emblem inscribed on a plaque at Dargah Hazratbal “extremely unfortunate” saying that things could have gone smoothly even without the installation of the national emblem. He said that keeping in view the importance and sensitivity of the shrine, it was necessary to exercise caution, especially “when things could have gone smoothly even without the installation of the national emblem.”

“The question arises whether a national emblem can be installed in a religious place of worship or not, especially when it is directly connected with people’s sentiments and carries the possibility of disturbing the situation,” he said.

He said the Muslims community of J&K have deep religious and emotional attachment with Aasar Sharif Dargah Hazratbal but the Waqf administrators besides the Ulema and Imams associated with the shrine, failed to adopt preventive measures to avoid strife and unrest despite “being fully aware of the emotional attachment of people.” “They knew how dangerous the consequences would be after the installation of the national emblem,” he said. He said the construction work of Dargah Hazratbal commenced in 1968 and continued for 11 years.

“People at that time held deep reverence for Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. Had Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah himself tried to place his picture inside Aasar Sharif Dargah Hazratbal, a similar reaction would have emerged as we witnessed yesterday,” he said. He said the incident witnessed post Friday prayers was not an insult to the national emblem, but a protest against those who ignored the likely consequences while installing it.