'Never Heard of It': Omar Abdullah Reacts To J&K School Book Row Glorifying Terrorists, Separatist Leaders

New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday broke his silence on the controversy surrounding a book allegedly glorifying separatist leaders and terrorists in government school libraries, saying he was unaware of the publication and had "never heard of it."

Responding to questions on the issue, Abdullah said, "I don't know anything about the book. I have never heard of it."

His remarks come amid mounting political heat over allegations that the book, Great Personalities and Legends of J&K (Series 4), was procured for government school libraries under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme and portrays several separatist leaders and militants as "great personalities" and "legends" of Jammu and Kashmir.

The controversy was triggered after the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples' Forum (JKPF) objected to the contents of the publication, claiming it contains chapters on figures including Maqbool Bhat, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Masarat Alam Bhat, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Maulvi Mohammad Farooq, while allegedly glorifying their roles and presenting what the organisation described as anti-India narratives.

Advocate Raghu Mehta of JKPF alleged that the book refers to Maqbool Bhat as "Shaheed Maqbool Bhat" and "Shaheed-e-Azam", describes Kashmir as "IOK" (Indian Occupied Kashmir), and includes references portraying security forces as "occupational forces." The organisation claimed such content could mislead students and promote separatist ideology.

JKPF has questioned how the publication was approved by the expert committee under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme and distributed to government and government-aided school libraries during the 2025-26 academic session.

The forum has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the book, seizure of all copies from school libraries, a high-level probe into the approval and procurement process, and action against the officials responsible for clearing the publication.

Abdullah's statement marks the first official reaction from the Chief Minister since the controversy surfaced, even as demands grow for the Jammu and Kashmir administration to investigate how the book allegedly entered government school libraries.

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