National emblem only for govt functions: JK CM after Ashoka Stambh plaque vandalised at Hazratbal
Anantnag (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday criticised the use of the national emblem on a renovation plaque by the Waqf Board at Srinagar's Hazratbal mosque, asserting that the symbol is meant for government functions and not religious institutions.
Abdullah, who is touring the flood-affected areas in south Kashmir, said the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board should apologise for the "mistake" that has hurt religious sentiments.
His comments follow a major controversy that erupted after the plaque bearing the Ashoka emblem was placed inside the revered Hazratbal shrine and vandalised by unidentified people shortly after prayers on Friday.
Police on Saturday registered a case on charges of breach of peace, rioting and criminal conspiracy against unidentified persons in connection with the incident.
"First, the question arises whether the national emblem should have been used on this stone or not. I have never seen an emblem being used in this way in any religious place," Abdullah told reporters while visiting flood-affected areas here.
"Mosques, shrines, temples and gurdwaras are not government institutions. These are religious institutions and government emblems are not used in religious institutions," he said.
The controversy escalated when Waqf Board Chairperson Darakshan Andrabi called for legal action, including booking the "hooligans" under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA), for removing the emblem.
Abdullah condemned Andrabi's response, saying that the board "played with the sentiments of the people" and is now using threats.
"First, at least, they should have apologised for it. They should admit the mistake. It should not have happened," the CM said.
Abdullah also questioned the necessity of the plaque itself, noting that National Conference (NC) founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah completed work on the shrine without seeking any credit.
"What was the need for this plaque? Was the work done not enough? Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah gave shape to this shrine... Even today, people remember his work, despite the fact that he did not use a stone in his name. There was no need to use a stone," the chief minister said.
He said that nowhere in the country is the national emblem used on any religious place. "Google search and you will find that the national emblem is only used in government functions," he said.
During his visit to the flood-affected areas here, Abdullah interacted with the affected families, assuring them that his government stands with them in these testing times and will take all possible measures to help them.
He also held a review meeting in Anantnag to assess the post-flood situation and directed the district administration to expedite relief and rehabilitation, restore essential services, repair damaged infrastructure, strengthen vulnerable embankments and ensure adequate supply of food, medicines and drinking water for the affected population.
Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday registered a case against unidentified persons under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Prevention of Insults to the National Honour Act.
"A case under FIR number 76 of 2025 has been registered at Nigeen police station into the incident at Hazratbal on Friday in which the national emblem was damaged," officials said.
The case has been registered under sections 300 (voluntarily disturbing an assembly lawfully performing religious worship or ceremonies), 352 (addresses intentional insults intended to provoke a breach of the peace or another offence), 191 (2) (rioting), 324 (cause wrongful loss or damage to any person or the public) and 61 (4) (criminal conspiracy) of the BNS.
Friday's incident has drawn widespread criticism from political leaders and the public. Devotee Tanvir Sadiq and NC Srinagar MP Ruhullah Mehdi argued that placing a sculpted figure inside the shrine violates the Islamic principle of monotheism, which forbids idol worship.
The People's Democratic Party (PDP) said it "seems that Muslims are deliberately being provoked" and criticised the call for the use of the PSA as a reflection of a "punitive and communal mindset".
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Single higher education regulator bill tabled in LS; Oppn flags ‘centralisation,' JPC likely
New Delhi: A bill to set up a 13-member body to regulate institutions of higher education was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan introduced the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, which seeks to establish an overarching higher education commission along with three councils for regulation, accreditation, and ensuring academic standards for universities and higher education institutions in India.
Meanwhile, the move drew strong opposition, with members warning that it could weaken institutional autonomy and result in excessive centralisation of higher education in India.
The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, earlier known as the Higher Education Council of India (HECI) Bill, has been introduced in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The proposed legislation seeks to merge three existing regulatory bodies, the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), into a single unified body called the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan.
At present, the UGC regulates non-technical higher education institutions, the AICTE oversees technical education, and the NCTE governs teacher education in India.
Under the proposed framework, the new commission will function through three separate councils responsible for regulation, accreditation, and the maintenance of academic standards across universities and higher education institutions in the country.
According to the Bill, the present challenges faced by higher educational institutions due to the multiplicity of regulators having non-harmonised regulatory approval protocols will be done away with.
The higher education commission, which will be headed by a chairperson appointed by the President of India, will cover all central universities and colleges under it, institutes of national importance functioning under the administrative purview of the Ministry of Education, including IITs, NITs, IISc, IISERs, IIMs, and IIITs.
At present, IITs and IIMs are not regulated by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Government to refer bill to JPC; Oppn slams it
The government has expressed its willingness to refer it to a joint committee after several members of the Lok Sabha expressed strong opposition to the Bill, stating that they were not given time to study its provisions.
Responding to the opposition, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government intends to refer the Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed examination.
Congress Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari warned that the Bill could result in “excessive centralisation” of higher education. He argued that the proposed law violates the constitutional division of legislative powers between the Union and the states.
According to him, the Bill goes beyond setting academic standards and intrudes into areas such as administration, affiliation, and the establishment and closure of university campuses. These matters, he said, fall under Entry 25 of the Concurrent List and Entry 32 of the State List, which cover the incorporation and regulation of state universities.
Tewari further stated that the Bill suffers from “excessive delegation of legislative power” to the proposed commission. He pointed out that crucial aspects such as accreditation frameworks, degree-granting powers, penalties, institutional autonomy, and even the supersession of institutions are left to be decided through rules, regulations, and executive directions. He argued that this amounts to a violation of established constitutional principles governing delegated legislation.
Under the Bill, the regulatory council will have the power to impose heavy penalties on higher education institutions for violating provisions of the Act or related rules. Penalties range from ₹10 lakh to ₹75 lakh for repeated violations, while establishing an institution without approval from the commission or the state government could attract a fine of up to ₹2 crore.
Concerns were also raised by members from southern states over the Hindi nomenclature of the Bill. N.K. Premachandran, an MP from the Revolutionary Socialist Party representing Kollam in Kerala, said even the name of the Bill was difficult to pronounce.
He pointed out that under Article 348 of the Constitution, the text of any Bill introduced in Parliament must be in English unless Parliament decides otherwise.
DMK MP T.M. Selvaganapathy also criticised the government for naming laws and schemes only in Hindi. He said the Constitution clearly mandates that the nomenclature of a Bill should be in English so that citizens across the country can understand its intent.
Congress MP S. Jothimani from Tamil Nadu’s Karur constituency described the Bill as another attempt to impose Hindi and termed it “an attack on federalism.”
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