Omar Abdullah, born on March 10, 1970, in Rochford, Essex, United Kingdom, is an Indian politician and a senior leader of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC). He served as the Chief Minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir from 2009 to 2015, making him one of the youngest to hold the position. Abdullah comes from a prominent political family, being the son of Farooq Abdullah and the grandson of Sheikh Abdullah, both of whom served as Chief Ministers of Jammu and Kashmir.

Abdullah began his political career as a Member of Parliament from Srinagar in 1998, representing the JKNC. He held the position of Minister of State for External Affairs in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government, focusing on diplomatic relations and international affairs. During his tenure as Chief Minister, Abdullah advocated for development, reconciliation, and political dialogue in the region, addressing issues such as security, economic growth, and infrastructure development.

Following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, which stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its special status, Abdullah was among the regional leaders detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA). His detention drew national and international attention, becoming a significant aspect of the debate over Jammu and Kashmir’s autonomy and political status.

In June 2024, BOOM fact-checked a misreported statement attributed to Abdullah by news outlets, claiming it was his quote about Engineer Rashid.

BOOM found out that the statement actually originated from an opinion piece by journalist Praveen Swami published in The Print, debunking the false attribution to Abdullah.