“Unnecessary step”: CM Omar questions installation of emblem at Dargah Hazratbal

Anantnag, Sep 06: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday criticised the installation of an emblem at the Hazratbal Shrine, calling it unnecessary and avoidable.

Speaking to reporters in Anantnag, Omar said he had never seen such an emblem displayed in any religious institution or function before, and there was no justification for putting it at Hazratbal.

He added that if the work had been done sincerely, people themselves would have recognised it without the need for a plaque.

He reminded that the shrine was shaped by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, who never used any plaque or stone for personal credit, yet his contribution remains remembered even today.

Commenting on Waqf Board Chairperson Dr. Darakshan Andrabi’s warning about PSA action against those who damaged the emblem, Omar said the first mistake was to hurt people’s sentiments, and the right course would have been to apologise. He stressed that emblems belong in government offices, not in temples, mosques, or shrines. (KNC)