In September 2025, the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) once again found itself at the center of a storm. This time, a plaque that was placed inside the revered Hazratbal shrine following redevelopment and renovation with an ‘Ashoka’ emblem resulted in anger and fury of the people living under illegal Indian occupation.
On September 3, 2025, Chairman (Indian Occupied) Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board Dr. Darakshan Andrabi inaugurated the newly renovated Hazratbal Shrine.[1] To the horror of Muslims of the region, the plaque also contained the Ashoka emblem.[2] Since Hazratbal holds a relic – the Moi-e-Muqqadas — or a strand from the beard of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), it holds a special place in the hearts of the Kashmiri people. For them, placing the Ashoka emblem amounted to ‘blasphemy’.
