Srinagar, Sept 6 (KNS): National Conference Chief Spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq on Saturday said that the violence at the Hazratbal shrine shouldn’t have happened and demanded the immediate dismissal of the Vice-Chairman of the Waqf-e-Jadid Board, saying the incident violated the law and hurt religious sentiments.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in Srinagar, he said the sequence of events at the Hazratbal shrine was unfortunate. He added that violence had not been accepted by the National Conference and had never been supported by the party.
He further said the method could have been better and handled differently, but it had hurt religious sentiments. Sadiq added that threatening people with FIRs and PSA was wrong and should be condemned.
He said that in the past, foundation stones at religious sites, whether placed by national or state leaders, had never used the national emblem. He further asked if the Vice-Chairman was above the constitution and said it was either poor judgment or a violation of law.
According to KNS, Sadiq said that the MLAs of the party demanded the immediate dismissal of the Vice-Chairman of the Waqf Board. He further said action should be taken under the law.
He also said the State Emblem Act, 2005, clearly prohibited using the emblem for religious purposes without explicit government permission. He added that using it on a foundation stone at a religious place amounted to improper use under Section 3 of the Act.
He further said that immediate action should be taken against the Vice-Chairman and that she should be dismissed from office. He added that members of the Assembly would write to the Speaker and request the formation of a House Committee to investigate irregularities in the Waqf Board.
He said the tendering process at various sites, including Hazratbal and others, had not been done in accordance with the law and that contracts had been allotted without proper procedures. He further said transparency must be ensured.
He also said that all tenders and donations should be investigated. He added that a PIL filed in the Orissa High Court on December 7, 2024, had clearly mentioned that misuse of the emblem violated the law and should be punished.
Sadiq further said that from the time of Sher-e-Kashmir, foundation stones at Hazratbal Dargah had never used the national emblem and that this incident had hurt religious sentiments.
He said the police must take action on the misuse and violation and on the incident itself. He further said that threatening people with PSA showed that those behind the incident wanted to intimidate others.
Sadiq said that labelling Kashmiris as terrorists was wrong, adding that the Vice-Chairman should apologize to the people for breaking the sanctity of a religious place and intimidating them.
Sadiq also said that justice must be pursued and that this matter fell under the jurisdiction of the Central Board and the Lieutenant Governor. He added that the Vice-Chairman should be dismissed as soon as possible.(KNS)
