Srinagar, June 20: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference leader and Member of Parliament (MP) from Srinagar, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on Thursday expressed shock and anguish over the fire incident that damaged the shrine of the revered saint Hazrat Baba Naseeb-u-Din Gazi in Sangam, Eidgah area during the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday.
Expressing outrage over the incident, Ruhullah asked the government to constitute a time-bound inquiry into the incident to ascertain the facts. “Such acts are intolerable as they constitute a grave danger to our centuries-old spiritual heritage. Local residents are alleging that the circumstances leading to the incident look suspicious which is also being acknowledged by the district administration itself,” he said.
Aga said a similar incident was thwarted by the locals a few days ago due to timely intervention. “Perpetrators of this heinous act should not be spared and should be brought to Justice. People should also maintain peace and calm and not play into the hands of forces inimical to peace and brotherhood,” he said.
The MP Srinagar impressed upon the administration to restore the holy shrine to its original glory. He sought the best possible expertise in the process of restoration.
Lamenting the failure of the administration to assess the hazard vulnerability of the heritage buildings in Kashmir, Ruhullah said, “The proposal of the Waqf Board – after the shrine at Khanqah-e-Moula caught fire – to install anti-lightning measures and CCTV cameras in shrines, has also turned out to be a flop idea, as no such measures have been installed at shrines. The incident should act as a wake-up call for the administration to carry out the safety audit of all the heritage buildings and subsequently suggest precautionary measures to protect them,” he said.
Meanwhile, former Speaker of J&K Assembly and Incharge Eidgah Haji Mubarak Gul also visited the shrine complex and impressed upon the law enforcing agencies to take cognizance of the incident of arson and damage to the shrine. He sought a thorough and speedy investigation into the incident to ensure that the perpetrators were brought to justice.
