CM Omar Abdullah faces flak over sidelined role during Amit Shah’s J&K visit

A fresh political storm has broken out in Jammu and Kashmir after photographs from Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent visit appeared to show Chief Minister Omar Abdullah relegated to the fringes of the entourage — at times even obscured behind security guards.

Opposition leaders seized on the images, accusing the National Conference (NC) government of bowing before the Centre while receiving little in return. PDP leader Waheed Para called Abdullah’s diminished presence “an insult to the institution and the mandate,” adding that it was the outcome of the CM’s “submissive posturing” since taking office.

On social media, Iltija Mufti, also of the PDP, said Abdullah deserved the dignity of protocol as an elected representative. AAP legislator Mehraj Malik went further, urging the CM to “show self-respect” instead of “running behind the BJP like a shadow.” Former Srinagar mayor Junaid Mattu mocked Abdullah’s low profile with a photo captioned: “Can you spot our chief minister in less than 15 seconds?”

The NC has pushed back strongly, calling the criticism a “propaganda exercise” led by the PDP. Party leaders said the controversial images reflected only a “particular moment” and that Abdullah had been accorded full protocol during meetings with Shah.

Yet the controversy comes at a sensitive time for the NC. Within the party, frustration has been growing over the Centre’s reluctance to accommodate the government on key decisions, from bureaucratic appointments to the long-promised restoration of statehood. Abdullah himself, in his Independence Day address last month, admitted he was “losing hope” amid a governance structure tilted in favor of the Raj Bhavan.

The row has also revived questions over the conspicuous role of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha during Shah’s visit. Sinha not only accompanied Shah on inspections but also attended a closed-door meeting with BJP MPs and MLAs — a move that rival parties said undermined the neutrality of his constitutional office.

As the NC works to contain the fallout, the “Spot the CM” controversy has sharpened the perception of an administration struggling to assert itself in the face of Delhi’s dominance.