Nearly six months after Omar Abdullah was arrested in Srinagar, a photograph surfaced on social media on Saturday showing the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister sporting a grey beard.

On August 5, the Union government had revoked the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated it into two Union Territories. The decision was taken without consulting the erstwhile state’s political leadership.

The night before the announcement, all communication lines were cut off. Omar Abdullah, the leader of the National Conference, posted a series of tweets, before internet snapped.

I believe I’m being placed under house arrest from midnight tonight & the process has already started for other mainstream leaders. No way of knowing if this is true but if it is then I’ll see all of you on the other side of whatever is in store. Allah save us 🙏🏼 — Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) August 4, 2019

In the months since then, Abdullah and two other chief ministers – his father Farooq Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti – remain under arrest. Twenty-one other leaders of various parties in Kashmir are still in detention at the MLA hostel. A top United States diplomat asked for their release on Saturday.

Another reminder of the continuing detentions emerged in the form of a purported photograph of Abdullah, which Scroll.in was unable to independently verify. Among the first to post the picture on Twitter was Smita Prakash, the editor of the news agency ANI.

Glad to see him smiling, hope to see him back on Twitter soon. Will tweet-bully him to shave off the beard and go back to his nayan-sukh chehra. #OmarAbdullah pic.twitter.com/FhQ9b8ycXU — Smita Prakash (@smitaprakash) January 25, 2020

While Prakash cracked a joke about Abdullah’s beard, other reactions were not so benign. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee expressed shock and sadness.

I could not recognize Omar in this picture. Am feeling sad. Unfortunate that this is happening in our democratic country. When will this end ? pic.twitter.com/lbO0PxnhWn — Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) January 25, 2020

There was widespread condemnation of India’s continuous detention of Kashmiri political leaders.

This is a shocking picture. It is morally, ethically & legally wrong to keep 3 ex chief ministers & many others including an IAS topper in ‘ detention for months ‘ on no charge at all. There is absolutely no justification for this. pic.twitter.com/xBA3FmdmlZ — sonia singh (@soniandtv) January 25, 2020

This picture of #OmarAbdullah is testament to our inhuman policy for #kashmir.



It's testament to our losing all moral standing in world



.Photo of Omar Abdullah with greyish-white long beard creates buzz on social media | India News,The Indian Express https://t.co/mgrRlGGgW0 — Saba Naqvi (@_sabanaqvi) January 25, 2020

It takes something to hold this visage after months of unjust detention and probably an abrogated political future. It takes immense fortitude, forbearance and self-belief. @OmarAbdullah pic.twitter.com/sE4URg8M48 — Sankarshan Thakur (@SankarshanT) January 25, 2020