Waqf C’person Darakshan Labels Vandals ‘Terrorists’, MP Ruhullah Calls Move ‘Self-Glorification’ – Alfaaz – The Words

Alfaaz – The Words Desk

Srinagar: The controversy over the foundation stone and Ashoka emblem at the revered Hazratbal shrine escalated on Friday, with Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board Chairperson and Minister of State, Dr. Darakhshan Andrabi, branding those involved in dismantling the emblem as “terrorists” and demanding stern action.

Speaking at a press conference held at the shrine, Dr. Andrabi described the vandalism as a calculated attempt to undermine people’s devotion. “When I saw the emblem broken, it felt like a cloudburst had struck me,” she said. She alleged certain political elements were behind the incident and warned that FIRs, including under the Public Safety Act (PSA), would be lodged.

Appealing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, Andrabi urged intervention from security agencies to “arrest those terrorists” and take action against the MLA who, she claimed, provoked the matter through social media. “No politics will be allowed in Waqf affairs under my watch. Our only mission is to safeguard shrines and reinforce people’s faith,” she asserted.

The remarks came after locals at Hazratbal dismantled part of the foundation stone inscribed with the Ashoka emblem, arguing that the symbol was ‘inconsistent with Islamic tenets and diminished the sanctity of the shrine’.

Reacting to the uproar, Srinagar MP Agha Syed Ruhullah Mehdi criticized what he termed “attempts to monumentalise egos inside Hazratbal.” In an X post, the Member Parliament said the shrine, with its centuries-old sanctity, “needs no one’s nameplate for legitimacy.”

Mehdi accused the Waqf of playing with religious sensitivities for self-glorification, calling the move “foolish, unacceptable, and an assault on people’s attachment with their beloved shrine.”

Ruhullah further cautioned against the use of PSA in this matter, stating it would “only add insult to injury.”