Omar Abdullah

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Omar Abdullah
Srinagar
Personal details
Born (1970-03-10) 10 March 1970 (age 54)
Jammu and Kashmir National Conference
Spouse
Payal Nath
(m. 1994; sep. 2011)

Omar Abdullah (pronunciation; born 10 March 1970) is an Indian politician who served as former Chief Minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and Chairperson of Jammu and Kashmir National Conference since 2009.

He became the 11th and the youngest

Chief Minister of the State of Jammu and Kashmir and youngest lok sabha member , after forming a government in coalition with the Congress party, on 5 January 2009.[4][5]

He was the last Leader of opposition in the erstwhile state Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly (Member of the Legislative Assembly from Beerwah constituency of Budgam district)[6] before the assembly was dissolved in 2018 and the state of Jammu & Kashmir ceased to exist as on 6 August 2019. On 6 February 2020 the Government of India booked him under the Public Safety Act (PSA) which was revoked on 24 March 2020.

He was a member of

NDA government in October 2002 to concentrate on party work.[7]

Omar Abdullah welcomes Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on his arrival at Jammu airport
in 2011.

Omar joined politics in 1998, as a

In run up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Omar Abdullah showed unwillingness to go for a seat sharing agreement with other political parties under the INDIA alliance in Jammu and Kashmir, and insisted on NC contesting all seats in Kashmir region.

Ansari in golf cart at Srinagar
, Kashmir in 2012.

Personal life

Omar Abdullah was born on 10 March 1970 in

Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics.[14] He was employed with ITC Limited and The Oberoi Group till the age of 29 before entering politics.[15][16] He did commence an MBA with the University of Strathclyde, however due his election to the Lok Sabha, he dropped out from the course.[17]

He married Payal Nath from Delhi.[18][19][20] She is the daughter of a retired army officer, Ram Nath.[21] In September 2011, Omar confirmed that he and his wife have separated.[1][2][3] His younger sister, Sara, was married to Sachin Pilot, son of Rajesh Pilot whose divorced news has come recently.[22]

He had a role in director

Mission Istanbul (2008) playing himself.[23][24]

Political career

In 1998, at the age of 28, Omar Abdullah was elected to the

Minister of State for External Affairs. He resigned from the post on 23 December 2002, to concentrate on party work.[7]

On 23 June 2002, he became the President of the National Conference party, replacing his father, Farooq Abdullah.[25] He lost his Ganderbal seat in the Kashmir assembly elections held in September–October 2002.[26] Abdullah was re-elected as the National Conference party's president in 2006.

Deepak Kapoor at the LOC near Rajouri
, J&K on October 09, 2009.

In March 2006, much to the disapproval of the centre[27] Omar Abdullah had a one-on-one meeting with Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, in Islamabad. This was the first meeting of its kind between a mainstream politician from Jammu & Kashmir and the Pakistani government, thereby re-enforcing Omar's growing commitment to the solution of the Jammu & Kashmir cause.

On 22 July 2008, Omar gave a speech during the

2008 Lok Sabha vote of confidence,[28] which was praised and won him fans on the internet.[29][30]

After the

Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir on 5 January 2009 at the General Zoravar Singh Auditorium in the University of Jammu, Jammu, raising hope amongst the people of Jammu and Kashmir who had been reeling under insurgency and violence caused by cross border terrorism since 1989.[31]

In 2009, Omar Abdullah was accused of covering up the

rape and murder of two young women in Shopian.[32] Many regarded this as Abdullah's first failure, as even moderates felt Abdullah had bowed to pressure from New Delhi.[33]

).

Detention

On the intervening night of 4 and 5 August 2019, Omar Abdullah was placed under preventive detention by the Indian Government under Section 107 of the CRPC. This came as a backdrop to the government's decision of scrapping Article 370 of the Constitution of India, which gave the state of Jammu & Kashmir semi-autonomous powers.[36]

After the expiry of the six-month detention without any charges, Abdullah has been freshly charged and detained under the

Public Safety Act (PSA) which has been revoked on 24 March 2020.[37]

"The capacity of the subject to influence people for any cause can be gauged from the fact that he was able to convince his electorate to come out and vote in huge numbers even during peak of militancy and poll boycotts," the government dossier continues.[38][39][40][41]

Abdullah's sister, Sara Abdullah Pilot has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court challenging Abdullah's detention calling it "wholly antithetical to a democratic polity and undermines the Indian Constitution" and asking that the SC secure Abdullah's release.[42]

The petition also includes a habeas corpus for Abdullah to be produced before the Supreme Court.[43]

On 10 February 2020, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for petitioner Sara Abdullah Pilot, mentioned the matter for urgent listing before a bench headed by Justice N V Ramana.[44][45]

On 14 February 2020 the Supreme Court issued notice to the Jammu & Kashmir administration and set the next date of hearing as 2 March 2020.[46][47]

On 24 March 2020 Omar Abdullah was released from detention.[48] Following his release, he demanded other people held under detention be released as well.[48]

References

  1. ^ a b Nairita (15 September 2011). "JK CM Omar Abdullah confirms Divorce but not Marriage". News Oneindia. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Omar Abdullah divorcing wife after 17 years". The Times of India. 15 September 2011. Archived from the original on 14 December 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  3. ^ a b "Omar Abdullah divorcing wife after 17 years". Indian Express. 15 September 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  4. ^ Omar Abdullah takes oath as youngest J&K chief minister Archived 30 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine NDTV, Monday, 5 January 2009 2:01 PM.
  5. Times of India
    , 5 January 2009.
  6. ^ "MLA Beerwah, Omar Abdullah during his visit to Beerwah on Wednesday". Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  7. ^ a b "Omar Abdullah resigns from Union Cabinet". rediff.com. 14 October 2002. Retrieved 9 July 2009.
  8. CNN-IBN
    , 5 Jan 2009.
  9. ^ "NC will go solo in Lok Sabha elections, says Farooq; Omar later clarifies remark". Hindustan Times. 16 February 2024. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  10. ^ "Omar Abdullah clarifies: National Conference in talks with Cong for three Lok Sabha seats, is part of INDIA bloc". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  11. ^ Omar Abdullah www.the-south-asian.com, November, 2001
  12. ^ NEWSMAKER: Omar Abdullah Business Standard, New Delhi, 2 January 2009.
  13. ^ "CEC, Omar Abdullah attend Sanawar school celebrations". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 5 October 2009. Archived from the original on 11 October 2009.
  14. ^ "Members : Lok Sabha". Archived from the original on 12 May 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  15. ^ Nelson, Dean (26 October 2013). "The only way is Kashmir for Essex boy ruling world's most volatile state". The Telegraph. Srinagar.
  16. ^ Bhandare, Namita (9 January 2009). "Omar Abdullah: a new son over the valley". Live Mint.
  17. ^ "Living on his own terms". Hindustan Times. 16 January 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  18. DNA India
    . 15 February 2011.
  19. The Telegraph (Kolkata)
    .
  20. ^ Ganai, Naseer (16 September 2011). "Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announces separation from wife Payal Nath". India Today.
  21. News18
    . 27 February 2015.
  22. ^ "Sachin Pilot and Sara Abdullah 'divorced', reveals poll affidavit". The Week. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  23. ^ "Apoorva gets lookalikes!". The Times of India. 11 June 2008. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013.
  24. ^ "Director Apoorva Lakhia on Mission Istanbul". Rediff.com. 24 July 2008. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  25. . Page 1.
  26. ^ "Omar loses Ganderbal, NC prepares to sit in Opposition". ExpressIndia.com. 10 October 2002. Retrieved 13 August 2009.
  27. ^ "Omar Abdullah's visit to Pakistan". www.rediff.com. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  28. Indian Express
    , 23 July 2008.
  29. ^ Omar Abdullah wins many fans on YouTube Archived 26 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine News, 24 July 2008.
  30. ^ Omar Abdullah to go Kalam way on internet Live Mint, 5 January 2009.
  31. ^ Kashmir pins hopes on young, energetic Omar Abdullah The Hindu, Tuesday, 6 January 2009: 1515 Hrs.
  32. ^ By Altaf Hussain (7 July 2009). "Another woman 'killed' in Kashmir". BBC News, Srinagar. Retrieved 9 July 2009.
  33. ^ S Murari (22 June 2009). "Kashmir in turmoil over suspected rape and murder". Asiantribune.com. Retrieved 2 July 2009.
  34. ISSN 0971-8257
    . Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  35. ^ Singh, Mritunjay (September 2023). "Sharad Pawar, Tejashwi, Raghav Chadha Named In I.N.D.I.A's 13-Member Coordination Panel". ABP Live. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  36. ^ Bhat, Sunil (5 December 2019). "NC demands immediate release of Farooq and Omar Abdullah". India Today. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  37. ^ Masoodi, Nazir (7 February 2020). "Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti Charged Under Public Safety Act". NDTV. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  38. ^ Masoodi, Nazir (9 February 2020). "Omar Abdullah's Twitter Clout Behind Tough New Charge: Government Dossier". NDTV. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  39. The Telegraph (Kolkata)
    . Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  40. Indian Express
    . Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  41. ^ Ashiq, Peerzada (10 February 2020). "Omar Abdullah used politics to cover his radical ideology: Public Safety Act dossier". The Hindu. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  42. ^ Haidar, Suhasini (10 February 2020). "Omar Abdullah's sister moves SC challenging his detention under PSA". The Hindu. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  43. ^ "Omar Abdullah's Sister Files Petition in Supreme Court Against His Detention Under PSA". The Wire. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  44. ^ Emmanuel, Meera (10 February 2020). "[Breaking] Detention of Omar Abdullah under Public Safety Act challenged in Supreme Court by sister, Sara Pilot". BarandBench.com. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  45. Livemint
    . 10 February 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  46. ^ "J-K leader Shah Faesal booked under Public Safety Act". NDTV. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  47. ^ Krishnan, Murali (14 February 2020). "Supreme Court issues notice to Jammu and Kashmir to respond to Sara Abdullah's plea challenging brother Omar's detention". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  48. ^
    ISSN 0971-751X
    . Retrieved 24 March 2020.

External links

Lok Sabha
Preceded by
Ghulam Mohammad Mir Magami
Member of Parliament
for
Srinagar

1998–2009
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by
Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir

2009–2014
Succeeded by
Preceded by President of the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference
2002– 2009
Succeeded by