Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday condemned the desecration of a plaque carrying the National Emblem at Srinagar's Hazratbal Shrine but said that the plaque should never have been placed in religious sites in the first place.

Speaking to the media, Abdullah said that the LG-appointed J&K government should focus on work instead of "putting a stone."

"The first question is if that emblem should have been there in the first place? I have not seen an emblem in such religious sites. Why the need for that stone? Why wouldn't you prioritise work over placing a stone? If your work is quality, people will notice it on their own," Abdullah said.

"They have erred - it should not have happened. But you manipulated people's emotions and you should have apologised. Temples, mosques, and gurudwaras are religious institutions, not government offices," he added.

The incident comes a day after unidentified worshippers desecrated the inauguration plaque bearing the National Emblem of India at Hazratbal Shrine following Friday prayers. The shrine is undergoing reconstruction and redevelopment under the Waqf Board.

The Hazratbal Shrine is a sacred religious site in Srinagar and houses the holy relic of the Prophet Mohammad.

Meanwhile, J&K Waqf Board chairperson and BJP leader Darakhshan Andrabi blamed the National Conference for the incident.

Andrabi spoke from the shrine itself during a press conference on Friday night, saying, "Those who vandalised the emblem at Hazratbal Dargah must be booked under the PSA. It is like a cloudburst that burst on me after I witnessed the emblem being vandalised."

She also asked the police and waqf officials to personally frisk the MLA if and when he visits the shrine, "so that there are no currency notes in his pocket (because they carry the National Emblem)."