Centre, CBI say Omar not an accused

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India almost saw its youngest chief minister quit his post on Tuesday. Angry and hurt after the opposition accused him of being investigated in a sex scam, Omar Abdullah stormed out of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly saying, he wasn't willing to tolerate the slur on his name.

It took the intervention of the Congress leadership to persuade him to stay on but not before the Home Minister P Chidambaram clarified that the allegations were false and that Omar was not an accused.

It was an emotional outburst that plummeted the sensitive state into potential crisis. The stunner came after the PDP raked up the three year old sex scandal controversy and claimed that Omar was among those being investigated.

But what were these documents that the state's former deputy Chief Minister Muzzafar Baig was quoting from?

In Delhi Home Minister P Chidambaram said: "Seventeen people including politicians and bureaucrats had been chargesheeted by the CBI and Omar was not one of the accused."

But by then the 38-year-old had stormed off to the Governor adamant that he would quit if found guilty.

Six months ago when Omar Abdullah was sworn after a historic election, Jammu and Kashmir stood on the cusp of change and hope.

A close friend of Rahul Gandhi, he was the Congress high command's choice for Chief Minister. But since he took charge he has spent much of his energy firefighting from one crisis to the other.

The Shopian controversy - when two young women were raped and murdered - was the turning point, a case he admitted he mishandled.

Now, the young chief minister may be seeking the higher moral ground but politics is clearly teaching him some tough and bitter lessons on the job.

Tags: J&K, Omar abdullah, sex scandal

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