Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sudhanshu Trivedi has hit out at Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the Congress, accusing them of “justifying” the defacement of the national emblem on the foundation stone of the renovated Hazratbal Shrine.
Trivedi described Abdullah’s remarks questioning the placement of the emblem at the shrine as “utter disrespect” towards a national symbol. “Utter disrespect to the national emblem by the leader of the INDI Alliance and CM of J-K. Omar Abdullah, rather than condemning the dastardly attack, tried to justify it,” he said.
The BJP leader further targeted Congress, calling its silence an insult to the Constitution. “It shows the real face of Congress and its allies that they are ready to hit the identity and symbol of India’s national pride. Disrespect to the emblem is disrespect to the Constitution, integrity and identity of India,” he added.
Trivedi accused the opposition of having a “nefarious mindset” and attempting to divide the country. “In 1993, when terrorists captured the shrine, nobody called it disrespect. Now, if the Congress and its allies remain silent on this attack, it shows their intent to dilute and divert nationalism,” he remarked.
Omar Abdullah had earlier questioned the decision to inscribe the emblem on the plaque, stating, “I have never seen the emblem being used in any religious place. What was the compulsion to have it at Hazratbal Shrine? Wasn’t the work itself enough?”
Linking the controversy to Bihar, the birthplace of Emperor Ashoka, Trivedi also took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav. “It seems Congress and its allies have taken a contract to insult symbols associated with Bihar, from Kerala to Kashmir. Their silence raises serious questions,” he said, demanding an apology from INDIA bloc leaders.
The row erupted after a viral video showed a mob vandalising the national emblem etched on the foundation stone of the shrine, which is undergoing redevelopment under the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board.
