J&K: Probe against NC MLA for not standing for national anthem during CM's swearing-in

Srinagar, Oct 17
J&K administration on Thursday ordered a probe against a National Conference (NC) MLA for not standing in respect for the national anthem during Wednesday’s swearing-in ceremony of Omar Abdullah as the Chief Minister. Official sources here said that the J&K administration has ordered a probe against Hilal Akbar Lone, NC MLA from Sonawari Assembly constituency in Bandipora district for not standing up when the national anthem was played during the swearing-in ceremony of Omar Abdullah and his Council of Ministers.

Sources said that during the oath-taking ceremony at Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) on Wednesday, some attendees were not seen standing when the national anthem was played. Lone was one of them.

“To ascertain the veracity of the report, the CCTV footage of the event was also scanned. On being questioned, Lone said that he did not get up because of a medical condition,” sources said adding that just a couple of hours before the ceremony, Lone was seen standing and giving interviews to press.

“The entire footage of the event will be scanned to find out who all didn’t stand up during the national anthem,” sources confirmed.

Omar Abdullah was administered the oath of office and secrecy by the J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha. Five MLAs including Surinder Choudhary, Sakina Itoo, Javaid Ahmad Rana, Javaid Ahmad Dar and Satish Sharma were sworn in as ministers in the Omar Abdullah-headed Council of Ministers.

Omar Abdullah later announced that he is deputing Surinder Choudhary as the Deputy Chief Minister to give proper representation to Jammu division as he had promised before forming the government.

Omar Abdullah has taken over as the 14th Chief Minister of J&K, having served previously full six-year term from 2009 to 2015 as the Chief Minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

On Wednesday, he chaired a meeting of all the Secretaries of the UT administration at the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar.

Omar posted on his X on Thursday, “I’ll be travelling to Warwan, Kishtwar today to meet the families whose lives have been turned upside down by this devastating fire.”

Over 70 houses were destroyed in a devastating fire in the Warwan area of Kishtwar district. Locals and officials of civil administration engaged in dousing the flames literally with their bare hands during the blaze because in the remote area where the blaze occurred, there is no fire and emergency service station in vicinity.