Anantnag, Sept 7, KNT: National Conference president and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Sunday said the controversy at the Hazratbal shrine could have been avoided if the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board had not installed the plaque bearing the Ashoka emblem at the shrine dedicated to Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
Speaking to reporters in Anantnag after attending a condolence meeting, Abdullah said there was no need to put up the plaque in the first place. He remarked that the decision angered people and should not have been taken.
Calling it a mistake, Abdullah reminded that Hazratbal and other shrines were built through public contributions and not as a favour from anyone. He said when Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah supervised the construction of the Hazratbal shrine, no such board was placed because the shrine was dedicated to Allah and His Prophet (SAW).
On the FIR registered over the vandalisation of the emblem, Abdullah said those responsible should realise their error. He maintained that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are peace-loving but will not tolerate such acts.
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“They need to understand that what they did was wrong. The people will not accept such actions. We are a peace-loving community, but the authorities must know they made a mistake,” Abdullah said. [KNT]
