Samrat Choudhary slams vandalism of Ashoka emblem in Kashmir, calls it attack on India’s soul

New Delhi: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Samrat Choudhary has condemned the vandalism of a plaque bearing the Ashoka Pillar at Srinagar’s Hazratbal Dargah, describing it as an attack on the “soul of India” by the opposition INDIA bloc.

In a post on X, Choudhary said:

“The insult to the revered Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji's mother in Bihar…The insult to Bihar in Kerala… And now the insult to the Ashok Chakra in Kashmir! From Kerala to Kashmir, the INDI alliance is only attacking the soul of India. The Ashok Chakra is the glorious heritage of Emperor Ashok and Bihar. Bihar and India will never tolerate this insult!”

He said the act was more than a political move, calling it a blow to India’s cultural and national values.

Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday registered an FIR over the vandalism of the emblem plaque at the Hazratbal shrine, and an investigation is under way.

The Waqf Board had placed the national emblem during renovation, but it became contentious after objections were raised to the animal figures depicted on it.

BJP leader Sanjay Jaiswal also condemned the incident, saying: “They want benefits but act against the nation. The way India's national emblem was disrespected, they will be punished, they won’t be spared at any cost.”

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah questioned the decision to install the emblem at the shrine. “The first question is whether such a plaque should have been installed there in the first place. I have never seen this emblem being used in any religious institution or any function before. Then why was there a need to put up such a stone? If the work was good enough, people themselves would have recognized it,” he said.

The controversy has triggered a sharp political debate, bringing issues of national pride and religious sensitivity to the fore.