Crown of thorns, says Farooq Abdullah after son becomes CM; Modi congratulates Omar

It is a crown of thorns and may Allah help him fulfil the hopes of people, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said on Wednesday, after his son Omar Abdullah took oath as the first chief minister of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

While PDP president Mehbooba Mufti called the swearing-in of Omar Abdullah as a "very auspicious day" as people of Jammu and Kashmir have got their government after several years.

PM Modi congratulates Omar Abdullah

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah was sworn in as the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, the first elected government in the Union territory since 2019 when Article 370 was abrogated and the erstwhile state was bifurcated into the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi too congratulated Omar Abdullah on being sworn in as the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, and said the Centre will work closely with him and his team for J-K's progress.

In a post on X, Modi said, "Congratulations to Shri Omar Abdullah Ji on taking oath as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. Wishing him the very best in his efforts to serve the people." "The Centre will work closely with him and his team for J&K's progress," the prime minister said.

Lt Governor Manoj Sinha administered the oath of office and secrecy to Abdullah, who takes over as chief minister for a second term and is the third generation of the Abdullah family to occupy the office -- after his grandfather Sheikh Abdullah and father Farooq Abdullah.

Five ministers -- Sakina Masood (Itoo), Javed Dar, Javed Rana, Surinder Choudhary, and Satish Sharma -- also took the oath of office. While Itoo and Dar are from the Kashmir valley, Rana, Choudhary and Sharma are from the Jammu region.

Also read: Why Congress stayed out of Omar's new Jammu and Kashmir govt 

Restoration of statehood

Meanwhile, taking a cue from his grandfather, Zahir Abdullah, Omar Abdullah's son, said the new government’s first priority is restoration of statehood.

“The state is full of challenges and I hope this government will do what it had promised in the election manifesto… It is a crown of thorns and may (almighty) Allah succeed him (Omar) and he fulfils the people’s hope. This is my message,” Farooq Abdullah told reporters after the oath-taking ceremony at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC).

“After statehood, our true struggle (for restoration of) Article 370 will start. Article 370 will always be our priority,” Zahir Abdullah added.

Heal wounds, says PDP

Talking to reporters after attending Abdullah's oath ceremony, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said, "Today is a very auspicious day. People of Jammu and Kashmir have got their government after several years. People have elected a stable government. People of Jammu and Kashmir suffered a lot especially after 2019, and we hope that this new government will heal the wounds we got."

Also read: Omar Abdullah sworn in as J&K CM; Congress won’t join govt for now 

She, however, expressed hope that the government would pass a resolution condemning the Centre's August 5, 2019 decisions of abrogating Article 370, and bifurcating J-K into two union territories.

"We hope that the government will pass a resolution condemning the decision of August 5, 2019, that the people of J-K do not accept those decisions," she added. Further, the former chief minister of the erstwhile state of J-K also expressed hope that the government will find ways to resolve issues of unemployment, drug addiction, electricity and others.

PDP supports new govt

Mehbooba Mufti's daughter Iltija Mufti also expressed hope that the new government would do justice to the overwhelming mandate it received.

"J&K will finally have an elected government after an excruciatingly long wait of six years. Best wishes to Omar sahab & hope they do justice to the overwhelming mandate & trust people have reposed in them," Iltija posted on X.

Also watch: CM Omar Abdullah: Challenges ahead in post-Art 370 Jammu & Kashmir | Capital Beat

Congratulating Abdullah, the PDP, in a separate post on X, said the party would support the new government on its promises of standing against the decisions taken on August 5, 2019.

"We congratulate @OmarAbdullah sahab for taking oath as Chief Minister UT of J&K. People have elected the new government with a hope that it stays true to its promises of standing against the decisions taken on 5 August 2019, and we support the new govt on it. Our best wishes to him and his cabinet for a fruitful tenure," the PDP said.