Farooq Abdullah criticises Waqf Board for Hazratbal row

Srinagar, Sep 7 (PTI) National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Sunday said the controversy at the Hazratbal shrine could have been avoided had the current Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board not installed the plaque with the Ashoka emblem at the shrine dedicated to Prophet Muhammad.

"There was no need to install the plaque. They put it up and people did not like it," Abdullah told reporters in Anantnag, where he attended a condolence meeting.

Calling the installation a mistake that should not have occurred, the former chief minister emphasised that Hazratbal and other shrines were built through the contributions of the people, not as favours from anyone.

"When Sher-e-Kashmir (Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah) oversaw the construction, he did not put any board on the shrine because it was dedicated to Allah and His Prophet," he said.

When asked about the FIR registered over the vandalisation of the emblem, Abdullah stated, "They need to understand that what they did was wrong, and the people will not tolerate such actions. We are a peace-loving community, and they should know that they made a mistake," he added. PTI MIJ MPL MPL