Omar tries to strike chord with people on Twitter

Condemn's death of Manzoor on social media

PTI | February 7, 2011



Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is the new twitterati politician and his most recent tweets include the condemnation of the killing of a 21-year-old "at the hands of army" and another seeking suggestions about "how to handle" the stone-pelting in old town Baramulla.

Omar, who during his two years in power as chief minister witnessed turbulent summers in the Valley, is nowadays constantly tweeting his schedule and comments about daily affairs on micro-blogging site Twitter.

Omar's tweeting is a rare attempt by a mainstream Kashmiri politician to use social networking websites or micro-blogging sites to connect to the masses after last year's summer agitation which were partly fuelled by the Internet activists.

During 2010 summer unrest, hardline Hurriyat leader Masarat Alam and his sympathisers extensively used the video-sharing site Youtube and social networking website Facebook to put their message direct into the rooms of the new generation Kashmiris.

"Have been trying to understand the circumstances. Lots of questions but not enough answers at the moment," he tweeted hours after a civilian was shot dead in an Army ambush in north Kashmir's Handwara town on Friday night.

Minutes earlier, Omar tweeted his condemnation saying "how can one not condemn" the death of "21-yr-old Manzoor at the hands of army late last night".

Omar, who joined Twitter much earlier, began tweeting regularly only this year. He is followed by 4,775 people on Twitter and he himself follows 38 people, which include journalists, actors, businessman Vijay Mallya and ace twitterati politician Shashi Tharoor, on the micro-blogging site.

The Chief Minister, known for his tech-savvy approach, also tweets about his meeting and other schedule and also gets angry with some people.

"I am so tempted to tell you what I really think of you but there may be kids reading so will spare them the blushes," Omar tweeted in reply to Jaymin Panchal who defended the Army and accused Omar of being "unthankful recipient".

The ghost of stone-pelting which haunted Omar's two years in power also finds a frequent mention on his tweets and this week it was old town of north Kashmir's Baramulla district which found a privileged mention on his tweets.

"Old town Baramulla continues to be the only place where a few boys pelt stones on Friday afternoons. Any suggestions how we should handle?," he tweeted. .

 

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