New Delhi, Jan 25 (PTI) After an almost unrecognisable photograph of detained former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah surfaced online on Saturday, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said it pointed to a "very disturbing fact" about the government.

"This picture points to a very disturbing fact about the central government. A former CM, who is also a former Union minister, has been detained for months without any charge. And he and his party have been the biggest votaries of India," Yechury said, retweeting a post that had Abdullah's photograph.

Abdullah is among the three former chief ministers of the erstwhile state who continue to be in custody since August 5 when the Centre abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 and divided it in two union territories.

This is first picture of the 49-year-old Abdullah in public domain after five months of captivity. It showed him smiling in a snow covered jacket and sporting an unkempt salt-and-pepper beard.

The photograph triggered reactions of awe and anger among netizens, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)