Patna (Bihar) [India], September 7 (ANI): Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh on Sunday criticised the vandalism of the Ashoka Stambh at the Hazratbal shrine in Jammu and Kashmir, and said it is a national symbol of our country, and anyone responsible for damaging it should be punished.

Speaking to the reporters, Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh said, 'The Ashoka Stambh is the national symbol of our country. If anyone damages it, they should be punished.'

A controversy erupted at the revered Hazratbal Shrine in Srinagar when a mob vandalised the Ashoka Emblem on the foundation stone, sparking a heated debate about national symbols and religious sentiments.

The Hazratbal Shrine is a revered religious site in Srinagar, housing the holy relic of the Prophet Mohammad.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah questioned the use of the national emblem at the shrine and said, 'The first question is whether the emblem should have been etched on the foundation stone. I have never seen the emblem being used in any religious place. So, what was the compulsion to have the emblem on the stone at Hazratbal Shrine? What was the need to put up the stone? Was work not enough?'

National Conference leader Tanvir Sadiq criticised the installation of the Ashoka Emblem, stating it violated Islamic principles that forbid idol worship.

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti demanded action against those responsible, labelling the installation as 'blasphemous' and calling for the disbandment of the Waqf Board.

Imam Bashir Ahamed Usmani of Jamia Masjid Aallain Talab, Udhampur, demanded an inquiry into vandalism at the Hazratbal shrine in Jammu and Kashmir, alleging that a religious place has been turned into a 'political ground'.

Speaking to ANI on Saturday, Imam Usmani called the act of defacing the national emblem inscribed on the foundation stone of the newly renovated shrine an attempt to spread 'terrorism'.

He said, 'The festival was being celebrated when the goons tried to spread terrorism there. We want a proper inquiry into this to know who the people were who created this mess in Hazratbal. There should be such an inquiry that the people who were the masterminds behind this are also found, even if they are political or religious leaders. These people have turned a religious place into a political ground.' (ANI)