Srinagar: Over two dozen people have been detained for questioning in connection with the vandalism of the Ashoka symbol at Hazratbal Dargah. Police detained over 25 people after examining videos and CCTV footage of the vandalism incident that took place after Friday prayers, officials said.
“No one has been formally arrested so far but some people are being questioned,” a senior police officer said.
A controversy erupted in Kashmir on Friday after a plaque with the Ashoka symbol was vandalized at the Hazratbal Dargah, with political parties accusing Waqf Board chief Darakshan Andrabi of hurting religious sentiments by using the national symbol in the mosque and demanding a criminal case and his immediate removal.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said the Waqf Board should apologise for the “mistake”. He stressed that the national symbol is for government purposes, not religious institutions. However, parties like the NC, PDP and CPI(M) said the use of the Ashoka symbol in the mosque was “provocative” and condemnable. The BJP condemned the sacrilege, claiming that the incident was an attempt to revive militancy and separatism in the Valley.
The Ashoka symbol plaque was installed inside the Hazratbal Dargah on Thursday, sparking outrage among devotees. They said that keeping any image or symbol inside the mosque is against the Islamic principle of monotheism. Later, after Friday prayers, the plaque was vandalized and removed by unknown persons, prompting the police to register a case against the unidentified people.
Omar Abdullah said, “I have never seen such a symbol used at any religious place. Mosques, dargahs, temples and gurdwaras are not government institutions. They are religious institutions and government symbols are not used in religious institutions.”
The controversy flared up when BJP-appointed Andrabi demanded legal action, including booking the “goons” under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) for vandalizing the symbol plaque.
Abdullah condemned Andrabi's response, saying the board had 'played with people's sentiments' and was now resorting to threats. "They should have at least apologised for this earlier. They should have admitted their mistake and it shouldn't have happened," the Chief Minister said.