Couldn't recognise Omar, am feeling sad: Mamata Banerjee on viral photo of Omar Abdullah
Kolkata/IBNS: West Bengal Chief Minister on Saturday tweeted a picture of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and expressed sadness over his condition.
"Am feeling sad... unfortunate that this is happening in our democratic country. When will this end?" Banerjee wrote.
"I could not recognise Omar in this picture," she added to her message accompanying the photograph of a man wearing winter clothes and sporting greyish-white medium length beard.
Omar Abdullah is one of the three former chief ministers of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir kept in house arrest since the abrogation of Article 370 in August last year. His father National Conference chairman Farooq Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti are the other two chief ministers kept in confinement.
I could not recognize Omar in this picture. Am feeling sad. Unfortunate that this is happening in our democratic country. When will this end ? pic.twitter.com/lbO0PxnhWn
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) January 25, 2020
Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress had fiercely criticised abrogation of Article 370 with leaders like Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien accusing the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre of "throwing the Constitution into dustbin".
The picture also drew reactions from PDP chief and former Chief Minsiter of Jammu and Kashmir. She said Abdullah has been kept in solitary confinement away from his family and loved ones for the last six months.
"Physical appearances & tweeting are the least of his concerns," she added
To those treating @OmarAbdullah’s illegal & prolonged detention with nonchalance, would serve you well to remember he’s been in solitary confinement away from family & loved ones since 6 months. Physical appearances & tweeting are the least of his concerns
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) January 25, 2020
CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury also tweeted Abdullah's picture, saying that the picture "points to a very disturbing fact about the central government".
This picture points to a very disturbing fact about the central government. A former CM, who is also a former Union Minister, has been detained for months without any charge. And he and his party have been the biggest votaries of India. https://t.co/1sbSfOwQZo
— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) January 25, 2020
The government had imposed several restrictions after the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5 last year. While the region is gradually moving back to normalcy, several leaders of Jammu and Kashmir continue to remain in detention.
However, the 2G mobile internet was restored on Saturday, after remaining suspended for the past 173 days, post abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
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