A suspended cop became hero overnight when he threw a shoe at chief minister Omar Abdullah during the August 15 flag hoisting ceremony at the fortified Bakshi Stadium at Srinagar. He was seated in the VIP gallery among senior ministers and government functionaries, which needs a special pass. Within hours people thronged to his home in Ajas.

Next day hundreds were marching to the small village shouting slogans: Teri jaan, meri jaan; Ahad Jan, Ahad Jan.

Jan was arrested the moment he threw the shoe at the chief minister. As the valley was simmering with angry youth pouring on to the streets whenever they could, Jan’s act became the discourse everywhere in Kashmir. Support started to pour in for Jan in the virtual world also. Social networking sites like Facebook became forums where netizens showed solidarity with Jan. Some described his act as “a symbol of resistance in Kashmir”.

His village buzzed with pro-freedom slogans for many days after, what the media termed as, shoe-gate.

Jan’s family was not sorry because he had thrown a shoe at the chief minister. “He did the right thing by hurling a shoe at him [Omar], given the situation in Kashmir,” Jan’s relative had said.

Omar tried to downplay the event by saying that throwing shoes was better (form of protest) than stone pelting. His father, Farooq Abdullah, Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy also tried to trivialize the event when he said somewhat gleefully, “Omar has joined the elite club of world leaders targeted with shoes.”

Police said that Ahad Jan was mentally unsound and a disgruntled policeman. Police also suspended some officers and policemen associated with the security of the venue.

Ahad Jan was released after a few days, when Omar Abdullah pardoned him and sent his political advisor Mubarak Gul to meet him and to find out his grievances. Jan requested a meeting with Omar, which was granted. Jan reportedly told him that he had grievances with police chief and not with the chief minister.

Reaching home, getting a hero’s welcome, Jan said, his shoe was aimed at New Delhi’s policies. He also announced that he had given up his police job. However, he has recently been served a show cause notice through newspapers for unauthorized absence from duty. Interestingly, the notice says Jan had attended office after the episode too before absenting himself from duty again.

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