Srinagar: Omar Abdullah on Friday became the first elected chief minister in eight years to unfurl the national flag and lead the main Independence Day celebrations at Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti was the last chief minister to preside over the event in 2017. The PDP-BJP coalition government collapsed in June 2018 after the saffron party withdrew support, resulting in the imposition of Governor’s rule in the erstwhile state.
Jammu and Kashmir remained without an elected government until its reorganization into two union territories in August 2019, following the revocation of Article 370, which had granted the region special constitutional status.
In 2018 and 2019, the National Flag was unfurled by the Governor during Independence Day and Republic Day functions. From 2020 to 2024, the Lieutenant Governor performed the honours.
Following assembly elections late last year, Abdullah assumed office as the first chief minister of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. On Friday, he unfurled the tricolour at Bakshi Stadium, received a guard of honour, and inspected the parade contingents.
He also took the salute as personnel from the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Central Armed Paramilitary Forces, and schoolchildren marched past the podium. Abdullah’s cabinet colleagues presided over Independence Day events in Jammu, the winter capital, and other key district headquarters across the union territory.
This year, the cultural programme—a major highlight of the celebrations—was cancelled as a mark of respect for the victims of the Kishtwar flash floods that occurred on Thursday.
