Vande Mataram row deepens in Kashmir as Omar Abdullah draws line

Srinagar: A day after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah distanced his government from the Vande Mataram anniversary celebrations, the controversy has widened into a political and religious flashpoint — reviving the debate over the limits of New Delhi’s control in the Union Territory and the cultural sensitivities of its Muslim-majority population.

Omar’s remarks — that “no one from outside should dictate what our schools do or how we observe events” — came after the Lieutenant Governor’s administration pressed ahead with directives to schools to mark the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram.

The statement is being viewed as a rare public pushback against the L-G-led bureaucracy, which has often been accused by mainstream parties of bypassing the elected government in policy ma