Omar Abdullah

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The son of former Jammu and Kashmir State chief minister Farooq Abdullah, he joined politics in 1998 after being elected as the youngest member of the Lok Sabha, a feat he repeated in subsequent three elections. He was the union Minister of State for External Affairs in Atal Bihari Vajpayee's NDA government, from 23 July 2001 to 23 December 2002. He resigned from NDA government in October 2002 to concentrate on party work.<ref name="Omar Abdullah resigns from Union Cabinet">Template:Cite news</ref> During this time, he took a larger role in state politics. However, his party faced defeat in the 2002 state elections. However, him and his party were later elected in the 2008 state elections.<ref name=cnn>Omar Abdullah not just another political scion CNN-IBN, 5 Jan 2009.</ref>

He became the youngest, and 11th chief minister of the state of Jammu and Kashmir after forming a government in coalition with the Indian National Congress, on 5 January 2009.<ref>Omar Abdullah takes oath as youngest J&K chief minister Template:Webarchive NDTV, Monday, 5 January 2009 2:01 PM.</ref><ref>Omar Abdullah to be sworn in as J&K CM today Times of India, 5 January 2009.</ref> He would serve in that position until 2015, after being defeated in the 2014 state elections. He was the last leader of opposition in the erstwhile state Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, serving as an MLA from Beerwah constituency, before the assembly was dissolved in 2018 and the state of Jammu & Kashmir ceased to exist as on 6 August 2019 and became a union territory following the revocation of Article 370, which Abdullah fiercely opposed.

Following being arrested and detained in 2020, Abdullah returned to politics first in the 2024 Indian general election, where he was defeated for a seat. Despite initially refusing to run for a seat, Abdullah was elected as an MLA following the 2024 union territory elections, being elected the first chief minister of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, in alliance with the INDIA bloc. He took office in October 2024.

Personal lifeEdit

Omar Abdullah was born on 10 March 1970 in Rochford, Essex, United Kingdom. He is a grandson of Sheikh Abdullah, and the only son of Farooq Abdullah, a physician and former Chief Minister of J&K. All three men have held the position of Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.<ref>Omar Abdullah www.the-south-asian.com, November, 2001</ref> His mother, Mollie, an Englishwoman and a nurse by profession, has said that she was not in favor of him joining politics.<ref> NEWSMAKER: Omar Abdullah Business Standard, New Delhi, 2 January 2009.</ref> He studied at the Burn Hall School located at Sonwar Bagh, Srinagar and then at Lawrence School, Sanawar.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He is a B.Com. graduate of Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was employed with ITC Limited and The Oberoi Group till the age of 29 before entering politics.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He did commence an MBA with the University of Strathclyde, however due to his election to the Lok Sabha, he dropped out from the course.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

He is married to Payal Nath.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She is the daughter of a retired army officer, Ram Nath.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In September 2011, Omar confirmed that he and his wife have separated<ref name="1india1">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="toi1">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="indianexpress.com">Template:Cite news</ref> but their divorce is still pending in courts.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> His younger sister, Sara, was married to Sachin Pilot, son of Rajesh Pilot.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

He had a role in director Apoorva Lakhia’s film, Mission Istanbul (2008) playing himself.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Political careerEdit

In 1998, at the age of 28, Omar Abdullah was elected to the 12th Lok Sabha, becoming the youngest member. In 1998–99, he was a member of both the Committees on Transport and Tourism and the Ministry of Tourism's Consultative Committee. In 1999, he was elected to 13th Lok Sabha (2nd term as a Member of Parliament).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On 13 October 1999, he took oath as Union Minister of State, Commerce and Industry. On 22 July 2001, he became the youngest Union Minister, when he was made Union Minister of State for External Affairs. He resigned from the post on 23 December 2002, to concentrate on party work.<ref name="Omar Abdullah resigns from Union Cabinet" />

On 23 June 2002, he became the President of the National Conference party, replacing his father, Farooq Abdullah.<ref name="con">Omar Abdullah–Profile Conflict Between India and Pakistan: An Encyclopedia, by Peter Lyon. Published by ABC-CLIO, 2008. Template:ISBN. Page 1.</ref> He lost his Ganderbal seat in the Kashmir assembly elections held in September–October 2002.<ref name="Omar loses Ganderbal, NC prepares to sit in Opposition">Template:Cite news</ref> Abdullah was re-elected as the National Conference party's president in 2006.

In March 2006, much to the disapproval of the centre<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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,<ref name="IEX">Give us a voice, says NC’s Omar Abdullah, floors House with own Template:Webarchive Indian Express, 23 July 2008.</ref> which was praised and won him fans on the internet.<ref>Omar Abdullah wins many fans on YouTube Template:Webarchive News, 24 July 2008.</ref><ref>Omar Abdullah to go Kalam way on internet Live Mint, 5 January 2009.</ref> "I am a Muslim and I am an Indian, and I see no distinction between the two. I don't know why should I fear the nuclear deal. It is a deal between two countries which, I hope, will become two equals in the future. The enemies of Indian Muslims are not America or deals like these. The enemies are the same as the enemies of all those who are poor—poverty, hunger, lack of development and the absence of a voice".<ref>22 July 2008, Lok Sabha Give us a voice, says NC’s Omar Abdullah, floors House with own Indian Express, 23 July 2008. </ref>

On 6 February 2020 the government of India booked him under the Public Safety Act (PSA) which was revoked on 24 March 2020.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Mr. Abdullah has been appointed a member of the Coordination Committee of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance at its Mumbai convention on 1 September 2023.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The coordination committee will decide the national agenda, common campaign issues and common program of the country's main opposition alliance (I.N.D.I.A.).

In the 2024 Lok Sabha Election Omar Abdullah was defeated by Engineer Sheikh Abdul Rashid.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He won both of his assembly seats from Budgam Assembly constituency and Ganderbal Assembly constituency and later withdrew his Budgam seat and retained Ganderbal seat.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Chief MinistershipEdit

Template:For After the 2008 Kashmir Elections, the National Conference won the largest number of seats, and formed a coalition government with the Congress party, and Omar was sworn in as the 11th 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.<ref>Kashmir pins hopes on young, energetic Omar Abdullah The Hindu, Tuesday, 6 January 2009: 1515 Hrs.</ref>

In 2009, Omar Abdullah was accused of covering up the rape and murder of two young women in Shopian.<ref name="Another woman 'killed' in Kashmir">Template:Cite news</ref> Many regarded this as Abdullah's first failure, as even moderates felt Abdullah had bowed to pressure from New Delhi.<ref name="Shopian rape and murder">Template:Cite news</ref>

Template:For At the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election, Abdullah's Jammu and Kashmir National Conference and its allies alliance secured 49 seats allowing him to be nominated to be the new Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Omar Abdullah met with the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, on 11 October was sworn in as Chief Minister on 16 October 2024.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil viewing the LOC in a in a forward area of Rajouri, J&K on October 09, 2009.jpg

Omar Abdullah with the President of India Pratibha Patil, Governor of J&K N.N. Vohra and Chief of Army Staff Gen. Deepak Kapoor at the LOC near Rajouri, J&K on October 9, 2009.
Manmohan Singh being welcomed by the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Shri Omar Abdullah, at Jammu Airport, in Jammu and Kashmir on March 04, 2011. The Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Shri N. N. Vohra is also seen.jpg

Omar Abdullah welcomes Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on his arrival at Jammu airport in 2011.
The Vice President, Shri Mohd. Hamid Ansari with the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Shri Omar Abdullah, during his visit to Dachigam National Park, in Srinagar on September 16, 2012.jpg

Omar Abdullah drives Vice President of India Ansari in golf cart at Srinagar, Kashmir in 2012.

DetentionEdit

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

After the expiry of the six-month detention without any charges, Abdullah was again charged and detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA) which was later revoked on 24 March 2020.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

"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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The petition also includes a habeas corpus for Abdullah to be produced before the Supreme Court.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref name="SC Valentine Gift">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On 24 March 2020, Omar Abdullah was released from detention.<ref name="Ashiq">Template:Cite news</ref> Following his release, he demanded other people held under detention be released as well.<ref name="Ashiq"/>

NotesEdit

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ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

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Official biographical sketch in Parliament of India website

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