Picture of Omar Abdullah sporting grey beard goes viral after 2G internet restored in J&K; couldn't recognise him, says Mamata Banerjee

After 2G internet services were restored in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, a photo of Omar Abdullah sporting a grey beard and enjoying snowfall went viral with several Twitter users sharing the picture.The photo of Omar, the first since the former chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was detained from 4 August, shows him dressed in a blue jacket and grey cap. Prior to his detention, Omar maintained a clean-shaven look.While some Twitter users appreciated Omar Abdullah's new look, saying he was looking "damn smart" in his new get-up, others expressed sympathy.Many said they wanted to see the former chief minister back in action on the social media platform and urged him to not lose hope.Congress leader Salman Aneez Soz tweeted chided such users:  West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, taking to Twitter, said she couldn't recognise Abdullah.Journalist Smita Sharma tweeted:Pooja Bedi called for the release of the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister:Journalist Ajay Kumar said photos speak louder than words:Omar has been under preventive detention along with his father and National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, since 4 August, a day before the Centre announced the scrapping of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir by abrogating Articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution. The Central government has placed almost all the prominent political leaders of Kashmir from different parties under detention.However, as part of the move to progressively release detainees in Jammu and Kashmir, the government on 10 January revoked the detention warrants of 26 persons detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA).The 26 persons whose detention has been revoked are mainstream political activists. They include Rouf Ahmad Dar from Pulwama, Abdul Salam Rather from Baramulla, Mohammad Arif Lone from Pahalgam and Javid Kalas, a resident of Shopian district.With inputs from ANI