By Saqib Mugloo
Srinagar: Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah who has been under detention since August 5, has started to access his Twitter handle.
Abdullah, who is the Vice-President of the National Conference, today liked a Tweet by Associated Press.
The tweet a story on the US strike on Taliban ever since the peace deal was signed between the two parties.
Known as Twitter boy for his pro-active usage of social media has much like other Kashmiri leaders been off micro-blogging site.
While Mehbooba Mufti’s account is being accessed by her daughter Iltija Mufti who every now and then comments on issues pertaining to Kashmir and other parts of country, Omar’s on the other hand has been defunct since August 5.
This is the first time Omar has accessed his social media. His last tweet came on August 4, a day prior to the abrogation of article-370 in Jammu and Kashmir. He hasn’t tweeted anything, though.
Communication services including internet were suspended in Kashmir on August 5, while post-paid mobile services were resumed in the valley in October, the ban on high speed internet and social media continues till this day.
So with no social media accessible in Kashmir, it remains to be seen how exactly has the National Conference leader been able to access social media?
Meanwhile among the charges listed out in a dossier against him are the 49-year-old’s opposition to the Centre’s decision to abrogate Article 370 and “instigating people on Twitter against the unity and integrity of the Nation”. No twitter posts have been cited to back up this allegation.
Omar’s last tweets before his arrest on August 5, call for peace and calm.
Abdullah was in preventive detention under Section 107 of the CRPC since August 5. Under the law, his detention was to end six months later on February 5, 2020.
But on February 5, the government invoked the Public Safety Act against him and another former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. This extends their detention by 3 months without trial and it can be extended for up to one year.
Note: This is a copyright of The KashmirWalla
