CM Omar Abdullah stopped from entering Hazratbal sanctum: Report

September 1, 2025 by News Desk

Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was denied access to the inner sanctum of the revered Hazratbal shrine last week, reportedly due to restrictions imposed by the waqf board, Daily Telegraph reported.

According to eyewitnesses, quoted by the newspaper, Omar had to content himself with peering through a glass panel at the “under-construction” prayer hall during his visit to review Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi arrangements. Hazratbal, which houses the Prophet Mohammad’s relic, is undergoing major renovations.

The incident comes weeks after Omar faced similar hurdles at Srinagar’s Mazar-e-Shuhada, where he had to climb a fence after police locked the gates. Both Hazratbal and Mazar-e-Shuhada were historically considered power bases of the National Conference before the 2019 abrogation of Article 370.

Eyewitnesses said Omar entered through the VIP gate and was received by Andrabi, who presented him a bouquet. When he asked to enter the main hall, he was told it was off-limits until its formal inauguration. “He asked how labourers were entering but did not press further,” a National Conference leader said.

Eventually, Omar and a few colleagues managed to view the sanctum through glass after party MLA Salman Sagar removed plywood sheets blocking the sightline.

Officials maintained that the restrictions were due to ongoing renovation work. “The main hall has been closed for eight months. Daily prayers are being held in a side hall until the facelift is complete,” a waqf official said.

National Conference leaders privately alleged that the restrictions were politically motivated, pointing out that Andrabi and her staff regularly enter the sanctum without hindrance.

Andrabi did not respond to calls from The Telegraph.

The Hazratbal shrine complex, in its current form, was rebuilt under Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah after the demolition of the older mosque structure. The shrine has historically carried immense religious and political significance in the Valley.

This latest episode underscores what observers describe as Omar Abdullah’s diminishing political clout in spaces once central to his party’s influence.