Omar Abdullah’s oath-taking as the youngest chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir was like a family reunion.
Omar Abdullah’s oath-taking as the youngest chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir was like a family reunion. Omar’s father Farooq was a proud man, his English mother Mollie Abdullah and sisters were there, brother-in-law Sachin Pilot had flown especially to join the oath-taking ceremony. His wife Payal and her parents too were there.
It was a glittering oath-taking ceremony, with the who’s who of politics, corporate world and media joining the chorus.
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi flew in from New Delhi for the ceremony, reminiscent of Farooq Abdullah’s oath-taking in 1996. Then prime minister HD Deve Gowda and Sonia Gandhi were in Srinagar then to witnesses the first popular government taking oath after six years of militancy and bloodshed.
Foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee, Prathvi Raj Chauhan, Congress leader and BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla, Vylar Ravi attended Monday’s ceremony. Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi was conspicuous by his absence.
Other dignitaries included former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and MP Dr Karan Singh.
But it was the Abdullah family that stood out in their resplendent colours. Before the oath-taking, Papa Farooq brought his son and daughter-in-law and the family posed for photographs.
Wearing a crisp black sherwani and a white shalwar, Omar was flashing smiles when he was called to take oath. Taking a break from tradition, Omar did not wear the karakuli (special Kashmiri cap made of lamb skin) hallmark of his father Farooq Abdullah and grandfather Sheikh Abdullah.
Omar refused to talk to the media but Papa Farooq was more than willing. “Papa kehte hain bada naam karega, mera beta bada kam karega,” he crooned in reaction. “Omar has to fulfil promises he made and give a transparent government,” he said.
“We are very happy. Omar being young and dynamic will take the state in the right direction,” his sister Sara Pilot Abdullah said.
Earlier, Farooq sunk political differences and went to PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti and BJP leaders and exchanged greetings. Mehbooba was sitting next to her arch rival, BJP leader Chaman Lal Gupta.
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